Iron Skin, Golden Heart
by obsidian dreamer
Summary: After the Bloodstone's destruction, two beacons of hope are lit. Yet as the Dark Legion grows and an old foe rises once more, the choice must be made between a perfect life, or another's life. Continuation from A Bloodstone Rose. SERIOUS KnuxRouge, Big
1. Chapter 1 Memories and Plans

**Iron Skin, Golden Heart.**

Disclaimer and Author notes: I own none of these characters – right, that should save me from the insidious devices of lawyers desperate to pounce on innocent fanfiction writers.

Okay, this is the fourth in the sequence of Sonic fanfics I've written; in reading order, they are: Angel of Darkness and Ice, The Best Medicine, A Bloodstone Rose and now, Iron Skin, Golden Heart. I have to stress that, before you read this, you really should read A Bloodstone Rose; a lot of stuff won't make sense if you don't. For my old crowd of reviewers, hope you enjoy this new offering:

And the show goes on…

Prologue – Memories and Plans.

In the days following the first defeat of Dimitri and the shattering of his fell Bloodstone, Haven had been a very busy place in general. For a start, now the threat of the resurgent Dark Legion had been realised, especially if Amy's information about Dimitri's still unaccounted for family was true, it had been essential for someone to inform the ruling council of Echidnopolis of the danger its citizens could now face. As the eldest that task, as well as briefing the current head of the Echidnopolis Security Team on these developments, had fallen to Spectre.

"Are you sure this is a good idea seventh-father?" As he steadied his helmet and made to head for the lift of Haven, where Thunderhawk was waiting in the car to transport him to the heart of the city, Spectre glanced over his shoulder, red eyes narrowed curiously,

"What do you mean seventh-son?" The current guardian of the Master Emerald, Knuckles Echidna, placed his hands on his hips, looking faintly troubled as what Spectre was planning on doing didn't tally with on of the first things he'd ever been told about the folklore of his newly rediscovered species,

"Shouldn't I be doing this; I mean", he continued hastily as Spectre's eyebrows raised noncommittally, "there's only supposed to be one guardian a generation, and I've been seen in Echidnopolis; won't they get a bit suspicious if you show up as well?"

"Spoken like a true guardian Knuckles", the black robed echidna said appreciatively before raising a hand in an pacifying gesture, "but don't fret; the council members and the had of the EST are all aware of the Brotherhood, though they are all sworn to a vow of the utmost secrecy; if any of them were to break it, we would know".

"Isn't Constable Remington the head of the EST?"

"Yes, I believe so; ah good point that – he won't know I've succeeded Tobor, my own father, I'll have to make that clear" Spectre spoke mostly to himself as Knuckles scratched the side of his face, a little confused as he reran the first conversation he'd had with the copper-furred commander of the Echidnopolis Security Team over in his head,

"So, if he knew you guys were out here, why didn't he…?" at that point the younger echidna saw the truth as nodded, smiling again, "ah, of course, he doesn't know where Haven is, does he?"

"No-one does, save the Brotherhood and your friends now; we'll deal with that later", the older echidna spoke dismissively as he had his eye on the time, "now I must be off or I'll be late; oh, did you manage to organise that trip you had planned?"

At this reminder, Knuckles smiled more broadly and nodded, remembering the call he'd made to his mother not an hour ago and the plans they'd quickly drawn up.

"Yeah, she agreed like a shot, should be going through tomorrow; bit of a last treat before Cream has to leave. Her school starts in a few days and Vanilla must be getting anxious by now".

"I'll be sorry to see her go", Spectre said suddenly, eyes misting a little as his incredibly focussed mind heeded his command and he was immersed in memories of the young rabbit's politeness, "never met a more well-mannered child in my life". Knuckles grinned,

"Not even your own family?"

"Especially not my own family" Spectre replied, miming the grin on his seventh-son's face before shaking himself, "now I have really got to go". With that, he hurried along the corridor, turned a corner and was lost to Knuckle's sight.

XXX

When his most elderly relative was gone, Knuckles turned on his heel and moved off, striding through Haven, ancestral home of the Brotherhood of Guardians, as if born to them. He was inwardly very surprised; in the space of no more than a fortnight, his entire world had been violently shifted from one of isolated guardianship to protector of a race. It had begun with the Master Emerald going, in Tails' colourful jargon, a little haywire and sending out strange energy pulses; from these pulses, the rest of Angel Island, sealed away so long ago by the first guardian and his most deadly enemy, had reappeared, together with the city of Echidnopolis and his own family. _Something else to really look forwards to_; a smile touched his lips as his footfalls rang off the steel floor; _I get to see mum again._

In all the strife that had so recently ended, it felt like years since that magical night when he had opened the door of the hotel room he had rented for himself and Rouge to find a nurse waiting on the doorstep; a nurse named Lara-Le, his mother. After a night of high emotions and family recollections, not all of them nice…Knuckles started, his train of thought totally derailed as something very cold touched the side of his neck and a frigid voice whispered in his ear,

"You're dead".

"Espio", the echidna snarled in mingled relief and annoyance as his heart rate spiralled down from somewhere around three hundred beats per minute and a semblance of calm reasserted itself, "quit doing that".

"Just training; turn around"; Knuckles did so as the chameleon revealed himself, his mottled skin fading back to his normal purple colour. The guardian flicked his eyes down to the weapon held in the ninja's hand and snorted,

"Let me guess; in the right hands that could wipe out an army?" Face not betraying any hint of emotion, Espio wiped the butter knife with his glove and answered,

"If it had been a real knife and you twitched, you could have slit your own jugular vein open and bled to death; be grateful I'm that considerate". His eyes closed for a second and, right before Knuckles' eyes, he began to vanish in plain sight,

"Any idea where anyone else is?" The chameleon shrugged,

"No idea, I haven't seen anyone except when I've been following and assassinating them", he kept his face blank as Knuckles put his hands on his hips, "they have their leisure activities, I have mine". Knuckles just couldn't help it,

"What do you do for fun exactly?" Just before his head vanished, Espio looked the echidna right in the eye,

"I use a real knife". Not able to tell if he was joking or not; Knuckles suppressed a visible shudder and stood stock still until he heard faint footsteps moving away from him. When he was sure Espio was gone, he continued on his way, a little thrown off track by the sometimes creepy reptile, but still sticking to his basic plan.

XXX

Though not completely comfortable in this sterile, flat environment, he still had a rudimentary map of where most things were and from that, with a little mental mapmaking, he could guess where everyone should be. _If worst come to worst;_ he thought wryly as he headed to where he hoped the hospital area was; _there's always the old fall back – wander around until someone comes looking for you._ That had been fun; when the Brotherhood had introduced itself to him, Knuckles had admitted that a few people had seen the Master Emerald; not a massive deal in his eyes because most of them he knew as friends. However, it became very obvious very quickly that to his ancestors it meant a great deal, so with that in mind Spectre had decided the only thing to do was invite everyone who had seen the Master Emerald up to Haven. Fortunately due to the New Year holiday period, this had been a relatively smooth process and, after a little explaining, a few introductions and, Knuckles smiled once more, a couple of bucket-loads of confetti, Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream, Shadow, and the Chaotix had joined Rouge as guests of the Brotherhood of Guardians. Spectre's aim had been, primarily, to test if they were all trustworthy with the knowledge of the location of the Master, a fact only he could confirm due to his unique talent as a mind reader.

As he'd often done when he'd had a spare minute, Knuckles wondered if the reactivation of the old glyphs of protection that had come about as part of the Master Emerald's sudden reawakening were a blessing or a curse; they would, Spectre assured him, ensure that no-one save those who had seen the Master itself before the glyphs had lit up would be able to approach the shrine, so would keep out most accidental guests or wanderers, essential due to sudden massive population increase. But at the same time, worst come to worst, they'd prevent Knuckles calling in back up in the form of the EST, and since the battle that had occurred in Haven as Dimitri had threatened to end his feud with the guardians, that had been playing more and more on the guardian's very keen sense of pessimism.

_Dimitri_; the name itself had become a blight to him, because what that timeless, malevolent monster had done was inexcusable, yet at the same time bafflingly blameless. The introduction had been convoluted to say the least, the memories still so fresh Knuckles could recall them instantly. First there had been rampant confusion; apparently, Amy had one night attacked Athair without motive and then somehow used a Chaos Control to leave Haven. When Cream had let slip the real name of the pink hedgehog, every one of his grandfathers had been instantly alerted and even fearful; with the help of their bloodline granted gift, Sonic and Sojourner had made full speed to try and save her, but had returned empty-handed and, in the case of the blue hedgehog, empty-hearted as well. From there, Spectre and his many generations of sons had told them all the awful truth;_ that the first guardian Edmund, guarded the Master Emerald_; Knuckles clenched his teeth, hating the way his very distant family had torn itself apart much like his immediate one had; _from his own younger brother_.

The story of the Chaos Siphon and how it had created the Chaos Emeralds from the Master Emerald years ago in the past, was ingrained in his mind; he was a descendent of Edmund and therefore enemy of Dimitri, even more so when it emerged that it had been he, not Amy, who had attacked Athair; the shade of the ancient grandmaster of the Dark Legion was able to possess Amy as she slept and had seized his chance for freedom. He had escaped imprisonment from within his own greatest weapon, the counterpart to the Master Emerald he had forged from his own flesh, imbued with the stolen power of Chaos when the Chaos Siphon he had created with his brother exploded; the dread Bloodstone reformed the body of its creator. Dimitri had kidnapped Amy and then left the scene of his release, leaving Sonic and Sojourner alone with the bitter ashes of defeat.

XXX

He was getting closer, three more lefts and second right after that would put him there if his guess was right. Knuckles speeded up a little for two reasons; firstly he wanted to hear how much mobility Amy had regained, and secondly Sabre could answer his question as to Cream's current location within Haven. As he approached, he relaxed a little before looking around curiously and counting a few doors; he smiled a little at a little delayed irony; _fantastic, I was shot a stone's throw from the hospital – just my luck!_ Taking a second for this to sink in and storing it away to relate to Rouge later, he carried on, memories of the great battle he had been a part of flickering in front of his lilac eyes.

Spectre had said Dimitri would strike at Haven, he knew its location through Amy's eyes; as in most things, Spectre had been uncannily accurate. Within no more than eight hours after the return of the failed rescue party, the onslaught had started; with flares of red power and a tell-tale 'whip-crack' noise, metallic beasts in the shapes of echidnas had been teleported right into the heart of the Brotherhood's home, guns blazing and crushing arms ready to tear, rend and destroy. They had been met by doomed but stubborn resistance; much to his chagrin, he himself had been the first put down – a hit at point blank range as he made to get Rouge out the way of danger had meant an instant lights out. He hadn't expected to survive when he made up his mind about what he was doing; it had come as a shock when he woke up several hours later with a pounding headache in a pitch-black room, restrained together with his friends.

Only when Dimitri himself had made an entrance had the plan been made clear; his entire credos was the destruction of death itself, noble perhaps, but the dream of an unhinged mind. Knuckles privately agreed with Spectre's idea that the explosion of the Chaos Siphon, the same accident that had transformed Edmund into the first guardian, had devolved Dimitri into a lunatic. His idea of cheating death by confining everyone to a life within a prosthetic, metal shell devoid of all emotions and sensations was that of a madman; _however, as Espio found out, trying to tell him that wasn't a good idea_. This fixation on preserving life, all life, had probably been all that had saved them; Knuckles was under no illusion that had Eggman been in the same situation, neither he nor any of his friends would be here now. Dimitri had explained that the Chaos Siphon could and would be rebuilt by his legion, and he would use it to steal the powers the guardians had inherited from birth, thus removing the last great obstacle in his path to control Angel Island and deliver its population into tortured immortality. _But it wasn't to be; by the nature of the one he possessed were the seeds of his downfall sown_; it was with this thought in mind that he pushed open the door to Haven's patient care, whispering his greeting as he did so.

XXX

"Hey Knuckles"; the echidna waved back at the cheerful voice, again marvelling at how much boundless energy and strength of spirit the hedgehog in the bed in front of him must have contained within her short frame. Crossing the room quickly and quietly, the echidna pulled up a stool and sat down,

"So, how'd it go?" Amy frowned a little, but as the other figure by her bedside noticed this, he answered for her,

"Much better than Sabre predicted", Sonic spoke with a heavy truth in his voice as he looked up at Amy, "still a bit sensitive on the soles, but there wasn't any real trace of any kind of lasting damage".

"But I'm not going to be running a marathon any time soon" Amy pouted, glaring down at her freshly bandaged feet as Knuckles shook his head, silently wondering how Amy could think of that tiny, trivial detail; in the light of all she had suffered at Dimitri's hands, how had she found the courage to face him again?

"Spectre came in before he left", Sonic's voice broke through his haze; Knuckles blinked and flicked a glance down at Amy,

"Really, I just saw him now; what did he say?"

"Much the same; he wanted to reassure me what happened wasn't my fault – he's been a real angel". Both male Mobians looked at each other and fought down deep smiles; _yeah right, a hell's angel maybe._ Amy must have seen this as she smiled sweetly and casually reached over to where her legendary Piko Piko hammer stood propped against her bedside table; this sobered Sonic and Knuckles up instantly, the blue hedgehog stopping her hand with his own, tone becoming more serious as he looked her right in the eye,

"Well, you know he's right; everyone knows there was nothing you could have done – hell, even Dimitri said it".

"I know", Amy let out a sigh of slight sadness, eyes misting over with regret as she too took a step backwards in time, "I don't know if this is right or not, but I still hope he's all right now". _Sometimes Amy_; Knuckles shook his head in disbelief as the two hedgehogs held each other's gazes; _I can really see where Sonic comes from – you must be a girl in a million if not more_.

He had spoken to Amy both one on one and as part of a group; Sabre and Athair both had said that, much as Knuckle's grandfather was giving her physical injuries the best possible treatment, the best way for her to recover from her emotional trauma was to tell everyone what had happened. This she had done, and as of yet no-one had found it within themselves to say that the events of the last week had been her fault; heck, Thunderhawk, the old warhorse of the Brotherhood with fists of steel and skin of rock, had all but broken down in the face of her story – it had taken Sabre and Sonic both to prise Amy free of his ferocious hug as he had shouted for the world to hear that she was a warrior that he could never be. And with that, once he had heard her story, Knuckles could do nothing but agree.

Dimitri had left her in her Station Square apartment, though she had been keen to stress that he had stayed with her, trying to make her see that she had had no control of her destiny ('he even held my hand, stopped me from falling right off the edge' – were her exact words), then he had left to pursue his goal of crushing the Brotherhood once and for all. She had spent time in her apartment, teetering on the brink of possibly terminal depression, before she had seen a picture Big had drawn for her at Christmas; as she had tried to explain, it was as though someone had lit a massive fire inside her. She had run from Station Square to Big's home in the Mystic Ruins and from there obtained the Chaos Emerald she had used to teleport back to Angel Island; she had known she could now use the power of these mighty stones because she Dimitri had tricked her into using one to escape from Haven in the first place. She had Chaos Controlled right into the heart of the Dark Legion's base alpha and faced Dimitri once more, with Angel Island's fate on the line.

Knuckles doubted he would ever truly forget the dance the pair had performed in front of a quite literally captive audience; every clash of blade on hammer was present and accounted for, every blast of Chaos energy, whether it was from Amy's emeralds, or Dimitri's fell Bloodstone, was etched clearly in his mind. He could still feel the elation when she had landed her first telling strike, the nausea and stomach-churning worry when Dimitri had slashed her down with his deadly sword and the sheer sense of wonderment when Amy, against all the odds, had finally managed to outwit the grandmaster and, by using the gift he himself had been forced to grant her to attain his freedom, to touch the Bloodstone and tap into its power to transcend mortality and reach her hyper state. In desperation, Dimitri had called on all the powers of his Bloodstone and the two demi-gods had warred; when the smoke cleared, Amy had been the one triumphant, though the manner of her victory was, as Rouge had put it, that of a true scarlet woman.

On this cusp of victory, she had Dimitri in the palm of her hand, his back broken by a swing of her hammer, and let him go; it wasn't within her to kill someone who's motives were good even if their methods left something to be desired. She had let him take enough power from his Bloodstone to flee before setting the remainder of her friends free – it was then that she had outlined her duty, no matter how much it hurt or the fact that she had been forced to knock Sonic out to make sure she could do it, it had been done. The Bloodstone had been shattered, blown to dust; the Dark Legion denied its ultimate weapon for all time.

XXX

Now she was healing from her battle, and making progress even Sabre, well-qualified surgeon of the Brotherhood, had been flummoxed by; how was she healing so fast? Knuckles was first to admit he wasn't a doctor, but he was almost sure it was something to do with the fact Sonic had finally opened his eyes; when he had recovered from the knock out blow she had landed when he got in her way of destroying the Bloodstone, they had been taken far away by the unique translocation power of his fifth-father Sojourner. They had all seen the detonation of the great red ruby; Sonic had taken off, fire in his eyes that death and nothing less would have quenched, Shadow on his heels as he raced into the devastation to find Amy. Knuckles, along with the others, had waited with hearts in mouths until there had been the characteristic glow of a Chaos Control; Shadow had managed to break through his amnesia to a tiny degree to save the lives of his friends. Sonic had thrown himself on top of Amy to shield her from the collapsing ceiling of the crumbling subterranean base alpha; had it not been for the black hedgehog, they would both have been killed in the cave in. He hadn't moved from her bedside during her day and night of unconsciousness and, from the second he had appeared in the doorway, Knuckles had known, just _known_, what had happened in the night.

Amy and Sonic had been together a lot as she recovered under the ministrations of Knuckles' own grandfather; not obsessively, stiflingly close by a much more pleasant, touching sort of togetherness; Sonic often ate in the hospital wing, just talking with her to ensure she didn't feel lonely, swapping small talk in the free hours. _Much like Rouge and I did, and still do come to that_; as he watched two of his closest friends begin to finally understand and explore what love could mean for them, the guardian took a little time out to examine his own relationship. It was, and ever since the activities and confessions of early autumn, had always been an everlasting bond – before he could contemplate it too much though, there was a slight bang as a door was roughly opened and the man he really needed to see hove into view, arms full with bottles of unidentifiable chemicals as a monocle dangled at the end of a fine gold chain, evading the efforts of its owner to return it to the proper position over his eye.

XXX

Sabre took in the scene with clinical accuracy; he had fully expected Sonic to be present and if Amy had gone missing he'd have definitely known something was up – the presence of his own grandson came as something of a surprise. _And a pleasant surprise come to that_; Sabre thanked the current guardian with his eyes as Knuckles quickly moved forwards and took some of his burden out of his arms, freeing up a hand that was then able to readjust his monocle. When his practice was once more in sharp focus, the surgeon, placed the medicines he'd been carrying in a carefully ordered pattern on the side as he simultaneously spoke to his patient,

"How do you feel Amy? No lingering pain?"

"No", she shook her head, wriggling her toes through the thick bandages he'd wrapped around them, "soon be ready for that foot massage you mentioned".

"Maybe a bit later, but for now you should rest up; we'll try another walk tomorrow after your injuries have had time to harden up a bit". Amy nodded before looking at him seriously,

"How long do you think it'll be?"

"Normally I'd say at least a fortnight", Sabre admitted casually; it was only when here face started to fall that he allowed himself to smile, "but given your progress, I'd say at most a week and a half". Amy gave a victory pose of a second before she froze and let out a groan,

"Oh no, I'm supposed to be at work next week; Sonic could you…?"

"Way ahead of you Ames", the blue hedgehog reassured her with his trademark smile, holding up his phone for her inspection, "I gave Mr Cadbury a ring when I went for a run this morning; told him you slipped and broke your ankle. I said you'd let him know when you could be in again and he said take your time and don't rush your recovery".

"Thanks Sonic", Amy gave his hand a gentle squeeze as Knuckles gave an approving nod from the sidelines; it was then she looked up a little reproachful, "but a broken ankle; makes me sound like a klutz". The blue hedgehog gasped incredulously,

"Well I couldn't tell him the truth could I; for a start there's not enough credit on my phone, for another I can't remember half of it and lastly if I tried Spectre shoot me". Sabre felt compelled to speak up in his fifth-father's defence here,

"No he wouldn't; as current guardian that duty would fall to Knuckles". He was a second too slow; sonic piped him to the quip,

"Well I'm safe then; if his snowballs are anything to go by the safest place would be right in front of the gun barrel". Knuckles shot him with a venomous glare before returning to his original plan,

"Sorry to bother you Sabre, but I need a favour", the third-father looked around enquiringly as he continued, "I need to find Cream, could you have a quick look for me?"

"No bother grandson"; without further ado, Sabre tapped into the common gift granted to him by his genetic link to the first guardian and the Master Emerald to scan Haven for the rabbit girl.

_One day_; Knuckles though with a hint of envy as he watched his grandfather's still form as the common gift activated;_ I'll be able to do that as well_. The gifts granted to the guardians were fully revealed at maturity; in history, when Angel Island had still been sundered and sealed away, the true period of guardianship began when the father took over to allow his son to journey to the lost city of Echidnopolis and find a partner for life. The reappearance of the lost area of Knuckles' home due to the reawakening of Dimitri and the interactions between Bloodstone and Master Emerald had somewhat bucked this trend, but eventually Knuckles was hopeful something could be worked out. He kept his thoughts off his face as Sabre blinked his eyes open and regarded him once more; Knuckles had a brief second to wonder why he was looking so sorrowful before Sabre delivered the news,

"She's in Athair's training room, along with Athair".

_Oh wonderful – off to the loony bin for a while then_; Knuckles sighed before thanking his grandfather and making to set off, only to be stopped by Amy's voice,

"Knuckles, could you let Cream know it's gone well and I'll be on my feet tomorrow night?" The echidna chuckled a little and nodded,

"No problem Ames; I'll send her your way when I've told her she's got a trip tomorrow".

"You got hold of your mum?" Sonic looked up with interest evident in his face, "Is she coming here?"

"Nah, we're meeting her in town; Spectre, ah, persuaded Sojourner to drop us off on the outskirts", the echidna answered delicately, trying hard not to think of the particulars of what that persuasion must have entailed; though he'd known his fifth-father less than two weeks, Knuckles had quickly come to realise that Sojourner was a bitter Mobian and misanthropic to the nth degree, "but don't sweat it; like I said, I'll make sure you meet her before you all leave. I'm ninety nine percent certain she's dying to meet you all".

"Excellent, well loath as I am to disrupt this gathering", Sabre began, stepping forwards as he made peace with his unique talent of healing, "I'd like to move on with your feet Amy". The pink hedgehog screwed up her face as though bracing for a torture session; Sonic laughed and gently swatted her shoulder,

"You big baby, it's not that bad".

"You're not the one having to sit through thirty minutes of pins and needles", she retorted sharply before Sonic laughed again and leant down to deliver a small hug; when that was over and they whispered goodbye, both Sonic and Knuckles exited the surgery, the faint green glow behind them the only mark of the remarkable power being called into play by the healer of the Brotherhood of Guardians.

Outside the door, Sonic whistled and shook his head,

"Well, I've got thirty minutes to kill; I'm off to hang with Vector – he was right, the sauna really does do you the world of good. You?"

"Gotta chat with Cream, after that I'll need thirty minutes to get over Athair again", Knuckles shuddered at the though of meeting his insane great-grandfather again, however fleetingly. Sonic sympathised,

"Rather you than me bud; anyway, later". With that he was gone, nowhere near as fast as he could go due to Haven's many twists and turns and the risk of collision, but quick enough to send him out of the guardians' sight in seconds. _Well, it finally happened_; Knuckles shook his head and grinned slyly as he headed the way he needed to go; _took a near-death experience and the possible enslavement of Angel Island to do it, but Sonic's finally grown up and said it. Not like I can talk though_; his grin widened as he made up his mind of what to do when he'd found Cream.

XXX

"Okay, try it again little Cream"; her instructor hovered over the mat as she readied herself to make it through the obstacle course he'd set up. She calmed her breathing and set her mind on the route, everything else was secondary to this concentration and the need to complete the task he'd set her.

"Go!" At the shout she was off; her ears beating ninety to the dozen as she sped into the air – she needed to get her momentum up because she couldn't beat her propellers through the first ring, it was too tight a fit. She reached her maximum velocity and at the last possible second tucked her arms and ears tight into herself as she streamlined her body, passing the through the brightly coloured hoop with barely an inch to spare. _I did it_; but there was no time to celebrate, the next move was possibly harder still. Face lined with concentration, Cream tilted her whole body to the left and stretched out her left ear, the sudden drag slewing her round to the left like a racing car around a hairpin bend, the turning circle virtually a sixpence. Course corrected she moved back into full throttle, moving like a ballistic missile and cutting through the second bright blue ring like a speeding beige bullet; she thought she'd made it and began to pull up, kill her forward momentum to begin the near-vertical flight upwards to the third part of the course, but she'd overestimated her speed.

As she rose upwards, the tip of her heel clipped the back of the hoop and she felt the same pang of disappointment; that was the fourth time she'd made that mistake and for that she'd failed the course again. _Oh well_; she looked down with a reluctant smile as the cloud of failure had a silver lining – with no warning and no apparent concern at a height of at least twenty-five feet in the air Cream suddenly stopped her ears moving and, as gravity took hold, plummeted to the floor.

"This is for a nine" she shouted as she twisted and performed three full somersaults in the air before impact; when the soft trampoline-like floor of this unique training area reacted and catapulted her back into the air, she did another one and a half. As she finally came to rest, she lay on her back for a second, just enjoying the thrill of the fun for a second.

"Sorry little Cream, have to dock you to an eight", Athair mourned as he ghosted over his customary six inches off the floor; she hefted herself back to her feet and regarded the flying echidna woundedly,

"But you said five was a definite nine".

"And so it is", Athair agreed, nodding until the bright bangles decorating his spines jingled together musically, "but that was only four and a half". The rabbit furrowed her brow for a second before shaking her head,

"Sorry Mr Athair; must have lost count". The echidna laughed and rose up a little higher into the air, his unique gift bearing him aloft without him seemingly controlling it,

"Not a problem little Cream, but let's call it a day there; your ears are as red as my great-grandson". The rabbit touched her right ear and sure enough it was burning up, she smiled at the echidna again,

"Okay, it's a day; thank you very much for letting me use your training room". Athair beamed down at her,

"Not at all; I just wish the rest of my family all trained as hard as you did", he lowered himself down and beckon conspiratorially; Cream leant forward and he whispered, "most of them can only glide if they fall, how bad is that?" It was at that precise second that the door opened as someone knocked on it; the first sight Knuckles had was of Cream and his third-father with their heads together; the way they suddenly sprang apart and tried to act innocent only reinforced his suspicions of them being up to no good,

"And what are you two whispering about?" Seeing the slight smile on his face, Cream played along and went into 'cute' mode and replied in a voice that made sure butter wouldn't melt in her mouth,

"Nothing Mr Knuckles"; looked up with her brown eyes heart-melting and Athair nodding in the background; Knuckles merely raised an enigmatic eyebrow,

"Well, if that was nothing, I suppose me talking to my mother about your little trip tomorrow was nothing as well". _Gotcha_; he allowed himself a satisfied smirk as Cream dropped her façade and ran up to him, suddenly breathless,

"What did she say? Are we going – tell me, tell me please!" Knuckles gave a haughty sniff and turned his back,

"Like I said, it was nothing"; Cream cracked as he made to exit the room,

"Okay, we were just saying that the guardians need to learn how to fly; they're not training hard enough".

"Oh is that so?" Engaged as he was with the small rabbit, Knuckles made the fatal mistake of ignoring Athair; he hadn't noticed his insane relative fly over behind him; then only warning he had was when a pair of hands gripped onto his shoulders and he was hoisted into the air.

"You knows she's right third-son", Athair scolded as Knuckles watched the floor fall away alarmingly, "I mean look at you; I bet you couldn't even get through the first loop of this course". Knuckles had a split-second look at the hoop before Athair let go; by instinct he straightened himself out and began to glide towards the target – he was too close to change his course even as he knew what the outcome of this doomed exercise was going to be…

XXX

_I swear I'm getting a nervous tic from him_; Knuckles thought furiously as he stalked away to his room within Haven, still red in the face as he remembered the sheer toe-curling indignity of being stuck by the waist in a hoop suspended twenty-five feet in the air with one panicked grandfather completely losing his head and shrieking for help and one rabbit girl rolling around on the floor in helpless hysterics. Fortunately, he had managed to free himself after seeing the buckle for the ring and dropped down, stopped bouncing on the trampoline floor, picked up his tattered shreds of dignity and let Cream know that she was to be ready for ten o'clock the following morning. After that he had run out of the training room before Athair could do anything else to mess up his day. He was nearly home and for that he was grateful; if he knew his manic great-grandfather, and to his great regret he unfortunately did far too well, that story would be all over Haven in a couple of hours at most; he needed time to try and recoup his self-respect and temper before he faced everyone again. To start the process, he thought about tomorrow and meeting his mother again; he felt a little guilty he'd neglected to mention Wynmacher would probably be there as well in case his father got to hear about it, but maybe that for the best – he wasn't sure about Locke's feelings for Lara's new flame but he was pretty sure they weren't present.

His pace slowed as he turned these thoughts over and over in his head; despite everything he'd been through in his life; he had no idea how to deal with his now fractured family. On paper it was a simple scenario; his father had married his mother without telling her that, due to the code of the guardians, he would have to take their son into the wilderness of Angel Island to allow his to grow and mature into a guardian; he had done this and abandoned Knuckles when he had been five and this craven betrayal had driven an inseparable wedge between Lara-Le and Locke; they had separated as a consequence. Simple really, until the emotions were added to the mix; he knew his mother hadn't forgiven Locke for that monumental act of cowardice, but she had said she understood the logic behind the abandoning now, while Locke had broken his heart and soul to bring himself to sign the divorce papers. _He loved her dearly, and he maybe still does_; Knuckles shook his head, confused by this as it made him unsure of his own feelings – Thunderhawk had said he was afraid Locke would die whilst alive due to the loss much like his own son Sojourner had at his daughter's death. It was as these thoughts were swirling in his head that he reached his room and soundlessly pushed the door open. He ducked his head in…

…and paused.

Suddenly all the confusing thoughts about his mother and father were lost for a second; a little imp of mischief must have taken over as he saw Rouge lying on her front on the bed they shared, facing away from him and seemingly reading a book. A grin settled on the echidna's face as he sidled quietly into the bedroom, aiming at the tempting target of the back of the bat's legs, taking each step slowly and carefully as so to not alert her by his movements. _She'll scream like a little girl if this goes off_; Knuckles bit his tongue not to laugh as sudden mental pictures of Rouge in throes of hysterics nibbled the fringes of his consciousness pleasantly. He was within arms length and slowly, as gradually as a glacier moving downhill, stretched forwards, his breath quickening as the target was almost at his fingertips,

"Try and die dreadhead". Knuckles remained motionless for a minute, face twisted in disappointment as Rouge rolled over, smiling sweetly and chuckling at his expression. Her laughter broke his immobility and he dropped his arms, huffing as he sat down next to her,

"So close; how'd you know it was me?"

"I told you a long time ago, you'd never make a spy; you've got club feet", the bat patted him consolingly on the shoulder as her tone became a little more condescending, "but never fret, you've got me to do the sneaking around so you can concentrate on the bull-in-a-china-shop routine". The guardian scowled, shooting off a retort,

"Well I'm so glad about that; one of us needs to be able to take the lead and go marching in rather than lurking on the outskirts", the bat put them back on level pegging before Knuckles offered the good news, tone lightening, "anyway, tomorrow's a go – mum's not at work and Wyn might be able to join us later, so that's…", he tailed off as he saw something like a faraway look in her eye; slightly concerned by this, Knuckles reached over and lightly took her hand, "what's up batgirl?" She shook herself at the touch, giving her partner an awkward smile as she tried to cover her slip up,

"Sorry, I've, er, just finished talking with Shadow, you know".

"Say no more", Knuckles reassured her, knowing the bat took a lot of interest in the black hedgehog's continuing battle with his amnesia due to the friendship they'd had before that last fight with the Metal Overlord, "how's it going – after the Chaos Control he should have got something back right?"

"Not much", she admitted sadly, facing the echidna directly, "he knows he's used the technique before, but he wasn't sure when or where; he also can't remember much about the happiness promise he made, just that he actually made it".

"No Maria?"

"No", Rouge shook her head; they'd been so close, but still the name meant nothing to Shadow and he couldn't see the lines back to his past; both treasure hunters were silent for a moment before she tried to concentrate on a happier topic, "so, we're all set for tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, I'm almost certain mum'll love Cream". Rouge gave a loud laugh at this, causing her boyfriend to cock his head questioningly,

"Of course she will; come on, if I can make a good impression on her Cream certainly can – I've never met a more good-natured kid".

"You weren't there when she blew up at Sonic" Knuckles reminded her, shivering as he recalled that screaming match from the rabbit with crystal clarity; he had been convinced something horrid had possessed her as it was so far removed from what he'd expected he couldn't take it in. Rouge patted his muscled arm and smiled,

"Well, hopefully Tails have fixed the loose fuse by now, don't tell him I said that, and she'll get on fine with Lara; Wyn'll have a field day with her". Knuckles nodded, convinced by the bat's silver tongue as he stood up and stretched, bad mood and embarrassment forgotten due to the time with her,

"Well, I'm off to the gym; Thunderhawk's in the city with Spectre so he'll never know. Coming?"

"In a minute or two", Rouge answered, pointing at the book she'd been reading, "just get to the end of the chapter and I'll join you then".

"Okay, take your time; good read".

"not bad; now go get the mat ready". The echidna gave an ironic bow, smirking once more,

"As you command oh mighty majesty". He sped out the door as Rouge brought her arm back and took aim with her publication.

XXX

She waited until the door slammed before letting her sigh escape her; the book hadn't been holding her attention at all as she was simultaneously anticipating and dreading tomorrow. Rouge had a plan, but then again she'd never had a plan where everything had gone completely right; suppose Knuckles realised faster than she anticipated, or the trip didn't last long enough? With a scowl and a concentrated effort, she purged her mind of these niggling details and forced herself to imagine it all going exactly right; _tomorrow, I'll get what I want from this place and to hell with the consequences._

A/N: That's the overview of how things are so far; if you want more detail, you'll have to read A Bloodstone Rose. Next chapter the story kicks off properly!


	2. Chapter 2 A Perfect Theft

Chapter 1 – A Perfect Theft.

A/N: Just a quick message:

HHH and new chao – Well, I've never played any chao-inclusive Sonic games, but I've owned a lot of dogs; I guess they're a bit alike. I know you're a, as you put it, rabid emeraldshipper; so read on.

"Okay Cream, listen up", the rabbit glanced forwards as Knuckles led her towards where Sojourner was waiting for the trio of happy shoppers to arrive, zipping up his jacket to hide the crest on his chest, "now I don't know if you've been told already, but most of the echidnas up there on the surface have never seen other species before". As he'd expected, she didn't quite follow this,

"They've never seen others, not even humans?" Knuckles shook his head, his dreadlocks swaying as he tried to explain to the stunned rabbit,

"No, never, because they're all up here aren't they?" he borrowed the explanation Rouge had come up with in the past, "think about it; they're alone on this island up in the sky and there's no way off, so they can't have got out and about much. Besides that, they've only just come back from wherever Dimitri sent them, so all I'm saying is that you might get a few odd looks as you're walking about. Stick close to me and Rouge though, we'll make sure no-one bothers you, okay?"

"No problem Mr Knuckles; it's not a good idea to wander off in a strange place anyway" she told him, parroting the wisdom she'd been exposed to by her mother when she was a very young girl. The echidna smiled,

"Glad you've got a smart head on your shoulders", an idea struck him and he rolled one eye down to see her reaction to his next line, though he was careful to keep his tone casual, "now if Tails were here I'd have to break out the flexi-lead; shame he can't make it isn't it?" Not really thinking about what she was saying, Cream shrugged casually as she blithely dug her own hole,

"Yeah, but he says he's close to a breakthrough on, er", she tried to remember the name of what the fox had said he'd been trying to create, but it effortlessly eluded her and she had to settle for the next best thing, "on whatever it is he and Mr Locke are working on in the labs. Wish he could come though" she added before she could stop herself; Knuckles pounced without a second thought,

"Oho, is it now", Cream blushed as she braced herself for the avalanche she'd left herself open to, "sounds like someone's admitting feelings; taking a leaf out of Sonic's book are you Cream?" Cheeks fiery red now, the rabbit tried to look intimidating as she glared at the echidna,

"You tell Tails and I, I, I'll…"

"Stutter at me?" Knuckles laughed and squeezed her shoulder softly, putting on a gently reproachful look as he tried to keep the humour out of his voice, "come on, am I cruel enough to do something like that?"

"Probably", Cream answered without hesitation; Knuckles laughed again; _she's learning_; until her next pronouncement stopped him cold, "but if you do I'll wait until your asleep, tie pink ribbons in your hair and start taking snaps – what do you think Sonic would pay?"

"Pay for what?" Both Mobians looked around, Knuckles at a complete loss for words in the face of this extraordinary threat even as he mentally congratulated the rabbit for thinking of it on the spur of the moment, to see Rouge approaching them both, looking a little puzzled but with the full intention of joining in the joke, "what are you going to get spiky to buy this time?"

"Nothing" Knuckles assured her, too quickly to be entirely truthful; Rouge saw Cream mouth the word 'later' and gave a miniscule nod – from the rabbit's sudden smile she assumed Cream had seen it. There was a slightly awkward silence before Knuckles cleared his throat,

"Well, come on then, we'd best be off; you know Sojourner hates to be kept waiting".

"Is there anything he doesn't hate?" Rouge questioned sardonically; Knuckles shrugged as if to say 'your guess is as good as mine', then turned and led he way, Cream at his elbow as Rouge gratefully was at the back of the three, trying to still the frenzied beating of her heart as her plan approached critical point.

XXX

"This close enough for you"; the fifth-father glared around the trees that characterised his normal teleportation point whenever he had to travel to Echidnopolis, which admittedly wasn't that often. The spot was close to the border of the city so minimised the risk of accidental discovery, the green glare so characteristic of Sojourner's unique gift camouflaged by the foliage in the summer while in the winter the biting cold would dissuade most casual visitors. As Knuckles stooped to steady Cream, the rabbit not being used to travel by Chaos Control, Rouge took a casual look around and nodded,

"This should be fine; thanks for the lift".

"Don't mention it", Sojourner snorted bitterly without deigning to look at her; fortunately Rouge was expecting him to have all the personality of an axel-grinder and kept her feet on the floor as he finished, "give my regards to Lara". Without so much as a goodbye he was gone once more in a green haze, leaving the others blinking to try and clear their retinas. As she rubbed her eyes, Cream made a valid point,

"What's gotten his goat; not a morning person?" The two older Mobians shared a look over the top of her head; Athair had told them the reason why Sojourner had lost his love of life and, deciding discretion was a lot more convenient than several awkward questions, decided to divert the inquiry,

"Something like that, but anyway, forget him", Knuckles laughed as he held apart a few branches and let both ladies step through first, "this is about you floppy; now we best get a move on or we'll miss mum". Prompted by the reminder of the promise to see Knuckles' family, Cream upped her pace to stay by the side of him as Rouge hung back slightly, enough for them to keep her in their peripheral vision and avoid their suspicion, but not enough to allow them to gain an accurate guess of her expression; _and the less acting I have to do now, the easier it'll be for me when I have to actually try, no, succeed, I can't afford to mess this up!_

XXX

Lara-Le was jerked out of her newspaper-induced fugue as a voice she'd been waiting to hear for what seemed like another thirteen years rang through the air,

"Mum", she looked around wildly, newspaper casually tossed into the nearest bin as she looked around for a glimpse, the barest sight of her once-lost son, "mum". She couldn't see him in the press so shouted back,

"Knuckles, Knuckles where are you?" There was a chuckle from just behind her as someone she joyfully recognised purred in her ear,

"No need to shout mum; I'm not deaf". Her eyes closed for a minute in blissful certainty before she span on her heel, arms wide as she was swept up, held close by her baby, not caring of anything else in the world as once more Knuckles had found her.

"Good to see you again kid", she whispered, forcing back the threatening tears as she didn't want to cause a scene for him in the street, she felt his great heart beating and the breath rumble in his chest as his deep voice answered her,

"And you mum"; their embrace could have been seconds, minutes or some timeless years, but all too soon they slid free of each other's arms, standing back and allowing their eyes to see what their bodies had not.

He was just as she remembered him; still as strong, still as formidable and, most important of all, as she searched his face she could clearly see he was as capable of loving as he had been when she'd seen him last. _Locke, I have to admit you're truthful_; for a fleeting moment, Lara was able to feel some modicum of gratitude to her ex-husband; _you could have lied and contradicted the truth of what happened between us, but you didn't, I can see that plain as day._ Completing her spot inspection, the female echidna looked around her son's impressive muscle mass to see Rouge standing a little way away, in her mind giving Knuckles and his mother the time and space they needed to meet once more. More curiously, however, stood next to the bat was someone else; she could instantly tell she was a little girl due to the dress she was wearing, but she'd never seen anything like her before. _Well, Knuckles did say his friends weren't echidnas, so I guess I'd better get used to this_; switching her gaze back to her son, Lara smiled and inclined her head,

"Well, I'm glad to see you all looking so fit and happy"; _if only you knew why_; Knuckles thought wryly as his mother spoke on, "but who are you little one? Don't worry, I don't bite".

"I'd learn fast, 'cause she does", Rouge said snappily, causing the smaller Mobian, if that was the term Knuckles had told her earlier, to glare up for a second before gradually coming closer, a little shy in her movements in a way that was oddly endearing and, when coupled with her large eyes, pert mouth and large, swaying ears, most certainly cute.

"Hello, Ms Le", the girl ducked her head politely and did a small curtsy; Lara was struck by her properness as she finished her greeting, "I'm Cream, Cream the rabbit".

"Well Cream", in front of this display of manners, Lara felt strangely inadequate as she self-consciously offered her hand, "I'm, ah, Lara-Le". To her relief, the rabbit shook the pro-offered paw and smiled engagingly,

"I'm so glad to meet you at last; Mr Knuckles told me all about you – are we going to see Mr Wynmacher later?" The older woman laughed a little as she nodded,

"Yeah, he'll be along when his shift's over, but please Cream", she leant forwards as the rabbit cocked her head, "don't call him Mr Wynmacher, you'll give him a heart attack; he's an echidna who thinks manners are where rich people live". Cream's smile blossomed into a choked laugh as she managed to catch the joke,

"Aw, he can't be that bad".

"He can, but if he wants to eat this evening I've told him to tone it down; I said you were younger than Knuckles". Rouge stepped forwards with a sly smile and ran her tongue along her teeth,

"I agree in theory, but she can't stay innocent forever; it might do her good to see a bit of sauce from Wyn", as Lara looked incredulous, the bat widened her eyes and spoke in exasperation, not aware of Knuckles readying himself to pounce, "oh come on, he's not that bad; he won't turn Cream into a delinquent overnight".

"Nah, we've got you to do that batgirl". Knuckles licked his finger and hissed as Rouge appealed to Lara, only to see the guardian's mother with her mouth hidden by her hands, eyes crackling with barely contained laughter. She sniffed haughtily and cuffed the guardian on the back of the head, trying to retain her dignity as the same time as smoke-screen her intentions. Fortunately, Lara took that moment to check the sun and see that time was getting on,

"Come on, we'd best get going", she beckoned them and made to head off into the crowd, "it's a bit of a walk if we want to get there early".

XXX

The walk was stimulating and most pleasant for three of the party; it was pure torment for the last of them. Cream walked ahead with Lara, the two of them chatting as though they'd known each other for years as Knuckles brought up the rear with Rouge. As he watched Cream rise into the air, turning heads all around them as his mother watched on with her jaw dropped, Knuckles laughed,

"I guess you were right Rouge; flop-ears really can make a good impression on anyone", there was a few minutes pause before Knuckles glanced to the side in concern, "Rouge?" In his sidelong glance he saw the bat start,

"Hmm, yes, yeah I guess so". Knuckles came to a halt and turned to face her,

"Rouge, are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah, just", the bat stretched and flexed her wings, fighting back a yawn, "just a little tired, I didn't get much sleep last night".

"Oh, okay", he favoured her with a very piercing look, wanting to make sure his partner was feeling up to scratch; he couldn't see any lie in her face so decided to lay the matter to rest, though he resolved to keep an eye on her. Looking back around, he saw how far ahead his mother had gone and shouted over, hurrying to catch up,

"Hey mum, wait up". To his relief and confidence, Rouge kept up with him all the way; _can't be too serious if she can still run as well as I can_.

XXX

The sight of the mighty central shopping plaza rose up ahead like some behemoth from the ancient stories, a fortress of imposing might and vastness; had it not been for the steady stream of echidnas leaving and entering through the central gate, it would have been certainly intimidating. As it was though the weak winter sunshine gleamed from the polished stone and brightened it to a pearly sheen, transforming a tyrannical colossus into a benevolent giant, the warm air that ruffled the fur of the four travellers as they stepped in through the doors was invigorating as Cream shucked off her scarf and wound it around her arm.

"Whew, glad to be out of there; it was a bit nippy".

"Yeah, you were unlucky today wasn't yesterday", Lara said casually, explaining as she loosened the buttons on the front of her coat, "never seen a finer day in winter, but anyway, we're here now, so let's see", she looked down at Cream again with a warm smile, "what are you looking for Cream?" The rabbit thought for a second, rubbing her chin as she tried to recall her mental checklist; somehow during the journey it had managed to get all scrambled about,

"Umm, I need to find something for my mum and, er, there was something, oh yeah, that was it; Cheese and Chocola need a new bed pillow. Apart from that, I'm just looking".

"Pets of yours; Cheese and Choco I mean", Lara asked curiously as Cream, remembering Knuckles' words about the lack of chao on Angel Island, decided to make it simple,

"Yeah, they're my two little terrors; or at least that's what mum'd have you believe…"

"And she'd be right" Knuckles cut in, deftly ignoring Cream's death glare as he recalled the antics of the two chao over Christmas with a laugh. The echidna was about add some more when there was a tap on his arm and he looked around to see Rouge with her eyes glued on something in the distance. Following her gaze, he suddenly realised what had caught her eye and sighed to himself; _sometimes I think you must be part magpie batgirl_.

"Knuckles, could you…?"

"No" he said shortly, that was a habit he really couldn't afford even with his funds. Determined not to be denied, Rouge took guidance from Cream's school of thought and tried the cute look, batting her long eyelashes as she tried to weaken the obstinate echidna with a sustained charm offensive,

"Aww, come on Knuxie; you know you want to treat me really?"

"I do", that put her on the back foot; before she could recover he'd undermined her attack completely, "but not right now; I'll have to think about it". The bat looked agog as the echidna braced himself, waiting for the explosion of sarcasm he could see boiling in her face; the explosion that, by some miracle he was extremely grateful for, Rouge somehow managed to defuse internally,

"Oh well, you don't mind if I just go in and have a look do you?"

"Not at all Rouge", support from an unexpected quarter as Lara gestured towards the shop she had earmarked, "we'll look after flop-ears here so you…"

"Not you too; what is it with echidnas?" Cream asked of thin air, "Knuckles called me that the first time I met him, now you as well – I don't get it".

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything".

"You didn't", the rabbit smiled again, putting Lara-Le at ease once more, "I don't mind the name, I was just wondering how both of you made the same jump".

"It's obvious isn't it?" Knuckles said, puffing out his chest with pride, "I'm my mother's son", deep thankfulness welled up from inside Lara's chest as Knuckles said those words, though she remained silent as he fixed Rouge with a light-hearted gaze, "go admire, but remember don't touch what you can't afford". _He'll be expecting a quip – gotta make this sound convincing_; the bat replied with a shark-like smile,

"By that logic, you should have exclusion zone around me".

"Don't flatter yourself", Knuckles retorted as Rouge headed off towards her destination, though true to form she couldn't resist getting the last word in,

"Just as well I've got something you haven't". A dozen examples came to Knuckles mind but in present company he was smart enough to know they'd probably get him a thick ear from his mother if he spoke them out loud and besides Rouge was halfway there now. _At least she's back to her old self now_.

XXX

The door clinked shut behind her and for a second she rested her forehead against the cold glass; that had been hard – she'd been within seconds of bottling it and trying to slip what she'd taken back where it belonged, but no, she wouldn't let herself even consider retreat now. _I've put this off for too long_; with renewed purpose, realising she didn't have long to secure what she wanted from this place, she straightened and moved over to a display case, the jewel inside glittering alluringly from their velvet pillows; _it's been such a long time, I need this now, or else_… Rouge suppressed a shudder and scanned the displays again, trying to pick that perfect piece of jewellery from the many that assailed her vision.

XXX

With his crest, and therefore his identity, a secret hidden beneath his jacket, Knuckles finally realised he was just another face in the crowd; people pushed past him, talked over him and moved aside if he asked politely, though as he had suspected many of them took lingering glances at Cream, the rabbit sandwiched between him and his mother as she looked around, not looking at all perturbed by the attention she was receiving. She admired the racks of clothing available, picking one or two off the displays and holding them against her body, looking down at the effect. Knuckles really didn't have anything remotely resembling a fashion sense so took his mum's word for it when she whistled appraisingly,

"Very nice Cream, suits your eyes and face well that one".

"You think so?" The younger rabbit carefully returned the child's dress to its proper place on the rack and pulled off another, "I thought this one was better". Lara shook her head,

"No, it don't think red really goes with you fur colour too well; it's a bit clashy. The powder blue was much more gentle, blended it nicely if you ask me; it's your choice of course" she tacked on almost as an afterthought, not wanting to feel like she was pressuring the rabbit into a decision,

"Think I'll leave clothes shopping until I'm home", Cream said eventually, replacing the dress once more, "there's so much choice and I'm useless at making decisions".

"I wouldn't say that floppy", Knuckles mentioned airily, a smile that had trouble written all over it on his face as he spoke, "you can make other people's for them with ease; Sonic'll vouch for that".

"That was a one off alright; drop it" she demanded, for a second looking so much like her mother Knuckles instinctively fell back a pace. Fortunately for him, the silence was broken by a gasp of shock; a pair of hands had snuck over Lara's eyes and a voice whispered,

"Guess who?" into her ear.

"Wyn, stop messing around", she said in a would-be stern tone, though the effect was spoiled by the grin on her face as she turned around and hugged the older echidna, "had a good day at work?"

"Same old, same old", the brown echidna assured her before letting go and stepping forwards, extending his hand to Knuckles; the guardian grasped without restraint as the older echidna greeted him, "Knuckles, good to see you again".

"And you Wyn", as he let go, the guardian gestured towards Cream with his shaking hand and made the necessary introduction, "this is Cream, she's a friend of mine and very polite, so no dirty quips", he saw Wynmacher's wounded look and smiled, "sorry, mother's orders".

"Right", the chef muttered before raising his voice and offering his hand again, "hi Cream, good to meet you after what I've heard". The rabbit beamed like a sunrise as her hand was engulfed by the echidna's much larger paw,

"All good I hope?" she inquired – Wyn laughed and nodded as she carried on, "pleasure to meet you Mr, er, Wyn" she went pink at her slight slip of the tongue and was extremely grateful when it appeared he didn't notice. Instead, he straightened up and, finally seeming to realise where he was, let out a groan of horror,

"Oh no, not clothes shopping".

"No, don't worry", Lara reassured him, "we're just leaving here; I know there's a gift shop somewhere nearby, you can get something for Vanilla there".

"Okay", the rabbit hung the dress she'd been admiring back up and made to move out, "let's go".

XXX

A short while later, Knuckles felt a tug on his arm as Cream pointed to the shelves above her head,

"What's up flop?"

"Could you give me a lift up there please Mr Knuckles?" The echidna raised an eyebrow as he looked up at the shelf she was indicating and then down at her again,

"Can't you wing it, if you catch my drift?" Cream's eyes widened alarmingly as she dropped her voice to a whisper,

"No way, I tried flying in a shop once before and", she shook her head; unfortunately she'd already said too much – Knuckles' curiosity was up and he leaned forwards with interest,

"What happened?"

"I'd rather not say". The guardian tapped his fingers together as he leered at her in a way that suddenly made her very nervous,

"Really, well I in that case I'd rather not lift you to that shelf", he stood on tiptoe and craned his neck to annoy her, "and if that's the perfect gift for Vanilla I don't know what is".

"What is it?" Cream pawed at him, but he simply smiled and stepped back, smile now threatening to split his face in half as he made his offer,

"Out of your reach, 'less I get to know this story", Cream's face fell so dramatically he couldn't help but add, "but I promise not to tell anyone else". The rabbit licked her lips as she gave a tiny nod and sighing, signalled for him to lean in closer, her voice now barely audible over the din of the bustling gift shop,

"I lost control and went into a big display of tinned peas; don't laugh", she said warningly; Knuckles had to stuff his glove into his mouth to keep the sudden onset of the giggles bottled up, "it wasn't funny; it hurt and mum was so angry she had me stay there and rebuild the whole thing – everyone was watching me and laughing or trying not to laugh", she broke off, shuddering as the echidna tried to keep the mental image out of his head; if he imagined Cream, younger and eyes full of fright, suddenly skiing in mid-air into a stand of mushy peas he knew he'd lose it completely. It was only when there was a sharp kick to his shins that he was able to reassert his grip as Cream looked up with a hang-dog expression,

"Now can I get up there?"

"Yeah, come here", he bent down and gripped her gently around the waist; with a grunt of effort, he pushed her up onto his shoulder, her head and arms now easily able to reach what he'd seen.

"Perfect", he felt her shuffle a little on his neck and knew from the slight scraping she'd picked it up, "okay, set me down now please". The echidna did so, noticing the bottle of coloured sand now in her hand as she held it joyfully,

"This is just what mum'll love; she always gets one of these whenever we go to the seaside".

"Sure that's the one then?"

"You bet it is", Cream assured him; without further ado he moved for the wallet Wynmacher had given him as a present, "oh no Mr Knuckles, you can't pay for this".

"I'll have to Cream; you don't have any money up here do you?" The rabbit opened her mouth before thinking about this and realising with a nasty jolt he was right. Knuckles saw the realisation dawn and smirked as he opened the zip; when he took a look inside, he was perfectly still for a few seconds before his own realisation made itself plain.

"Mum", Lara looked over from where Wyn was testing out an open set of juggling ball to see Knuckles striding over, face like a storm cloud and Cream tailing him nervously, "mum, could you look after Cream for a few minutes?"

"Umm, yes, why Knuckles?"

"Because I've just got to go and beat my girlfriend to death" he snarled, though she could tell he wasn't actually that angry with Rouge, more with himself. Wyn gathered the balls he'd been throwing and set them down quickly, looking alarmed,

"Why, what did she do?"

"What did she do?" Knuckles parroted, reaching for his violated clothing, "knowing her habits she's probably bankrupted me; she's got something I haven't all right", he pulled the sides of his wallet apart hard and all three of his companions found themselves staring at a big empty space as the guardian hissed the last piece of the puzzle.

"She's got my bleeding credit card!"

XXX

There, for better or worse the deed was done; now all she had to do was leave the scene of the crime and convince Knuckles that his funds had been left untouched; no small task but she'd done far worse. Quickly and without drawing undue attention to herself, Rouge ducked away from the store she'd been ransacking mentally and start running her basic excuses speech through her head; she'd refine it when the time came,

"Rouge!" _Okay, the time's just arrived_; taking a deep breath, the bat turned to the source of the shout in time to see Knuckles bearing towards her like a tank out of control. She slapped on a friendly smile, apparently unconcerned that her impending doom was approaching,

"Hi Knuckles, having fun?" The echidna came to a halt in front of her and glowered,

"Not as much as I'm about to have", he snarled quietly, not raising his voice for fear of causing a scene as he thrust out a hand, "give it back batgirl".

"Give what", she stopped her joke just before Knuckles started spitting acid; with a laugh, she flipped the guardian's credit card out of her glove and let him swipe it from her, "oh, that little thing; I wondered how long it'd be before you realised. Well, look on this as a valuable lesson – always keep an eye on your cards". Sighing with both relief and regret, Knuckles tucked the thin strip of plastic back into his wallet and looked at her once more, gaze more determined than angry now as he demanded,

"Right, how much did you spend?" The bat's jaw dropped,

"You, you think I'd…"

"No, I know you'd…" Knuckles smiled and Rouge's stab of panic abated; _he's not really angry about this – I'm half-way there_; "come on, out with it, and let's see what you brought". She gave a theatrical wriggle and acted a little ashamed as she

"Well, I did buy something, but it was only small", she added as Knuckles shook his head, strangely deflated now as he realised she'd gotten one over on him again, "and anyway, I'll let you see it tonight".

"Can't I…?"

"No" the bat stated firmly; the mere thought of trying it here set her insides dancing the conga with embarrassment. Knuckles raised his eyebrows but, to her eternal gratitude, didn't press the point any further,

"Come on then, everyone's waiting, oh and batgirl", he moved before she was ready; next thing Rouge knew Knuckles had her by the ear; she let out a whimper of nervousness as he grinned evilly, a tiny tug making sure he had her full attention, "try and steal my plastic again and I'll do this", he use his special massage technique on her super-sensitive ear again and she gasped, feeling her knees go weak as her mind threatened to let go, drift away in that blissful, feather-light touch, barely hearing as the echidna finished, "until you quote the theory of relativity to make me stop; do I make myself clear?"

"C,Crystal", she managed to stutter and he let go, smirking as she pulled herself together and glared right back, "one day I'll find your weakness Knucklehead, and then, mark my words, I'll make you regret you ever started that little trick of yours". He laughed in the face of her obtuseness and clapped her shoulder,

"Come on, this way".

The rest of the trip passed amiably enough, though the guardian and former spy kept shooting deadly, invisible eye lasers at each other that fortunately no-one else spotted. All the time though, until they bade their farewells to Wynmacher and Lara-Le, both most sorry that they hadn't been able to spend longer with Cream, whom they had agreed was the politest young lady they'd ever met, Rouge had one hand in her pocket, checking her secret was still there, ready for when she made a break for it.

XXX

The chamber lit up with an emerald green glow; Shadow didn't even look up,

"Hey guys, have fun?"

"You bet", Cream released her hold on Sojourner and raced over, not touching the carpet as she reached the sofa in one bound and began to relate her day's adventures in to the black hedgehog, who closed the book he'd been reading and listened with a great deal of interest, looking appraisingly at the purchases she'd chosen as Sojourner sniffed and trooped off to his own surly devices. Knuckles waited until he had a quiet opening and then managed to get a word in edgeways, signalling to Shadow,

"Hey Shads, Amy and Sonic still in the hospital wing?" Cream looked around hopefully as well as the ebon hedgehog nodded and smiled warmly,

"Yeah, though she's still not able to walk too far yet; I think Sabre's just re-wrapped her feet again. Sonic's with her". Knuckles smiled and glanced carelessly to the side,

"Good, what say we just, huh, Rouge?" The echidna found himself talking to thin air, the bat had vanished, leaving him to curse uselessly, "what's with her today; she's been acting strange all day".

"Really, that's odd", Shadow stood up, his eyes narrowed as he stroked his lower lip, "when we were walking around with me trying to remember stuff, I joked she looked as preoccupied as I did; anything on her mind you know of?"

"No, not to my knowledge", suspicion flared up in Knuckles' keen mind; _this isn't right for Rouge – okay she's been sneaky in the past but that's behind her now, isn't it?_

Thinking hard, the echidna excused himself and started walking around Haven, the route not as important as his mental plotting; he fervently hoped the bat wasn't slipping back into her old ways, but this sudden preoccupation and, most glaringly of all, the theft and use of his personal card, made his deeply uneasy. Thoughts of potential betrayal and the thought, no the certainty, that he had to be wrong in that wrestled like a pair of dancing adders in his mind; he watched them squirm and writhe together until he suddenly forced them apart; coming to his decision; _okay, I'll corner her tonight and find out what's going on_. Satisfied with this, Knuckles finally looked up to where he was going and tried to plot his way to the hospital wing, never suspecting that his timeframe of operation was far, far too late.

XXX

Mealtimes at Haven, especially with all the extra guests, was a typically chaotic affair; people reaching all over the shop, Athair, resplendent in his typical chef's hat and apron, flittered overhead with arms loaded with plates, setting them down willy-nilly as he tried to keep the table well stocked and last but by no means least the rest of the Brotherhood trying to go unnoticed in using their telekinetic gifts to move certain items towards them, a practise Spectre had banned outright as the correct use of such powers required eye contact after an incident involving a full pot of thankfully cold gravy, a three foot drop and Vector leaning back at just the wrong moment. Once Sonic had carefully filled a pair of trays for himself and Amy and departed to the hospital wing, it was a case of every man for himself; you took what you fancied and hang the rest; when asked by a curious Tails, Thunderhawk had said that Haven was stocked to last a year's siege, so there was plenty to go around.

In this chaos Knuckles excelled; catching Espio's tongue, the guardian hastily snagged the pie the chameleon had been after before letting go, smiling sweetly as the released ninja snarled sourly. _Yum, meat and potato_; the guardian wolfed it down gleefully, tapping Sabre on the shoulder as he did and swiping the chip from out of his hand as he looked around,

"Hey, that was not the conduct of a guardian" his grandfather admonished sternly; Knuckles swallowed and licked a spot of gravy from his lip as he answered,

"Neither was using a little gift to make sure you got the last bowl of dip, was it?" Sabre managed to keep his surprise off his face but gave a nod as he called that even; _how did he see that, I was sure I was discreet that time_. The third-father was lost in thought for a second; more than long enough for Cream, sharp as a pin as always, to nip in and whip the dip he'd so carefully nicked from right out under his nose.

"Oi, give that back you little…" Knuckles chortled as his normally calm grandfather lurched upright and made to go after the speeding rabbit, who dived between Vector and Charmy to share her prize for protection. Deciding he'd had enough for the night, the echidna rose from his seat and made to depart; it was as he was hailed,

"Hey Knucks, wait up".

XXX

She'd watched him all night and knew as he stood up this was it; she stood up and darted around the table, narrowly avoiding treading on Tails' namesakes as they swished across the floor behind his seat.

"Hey Knucks, wait up", he paused and she steeled herself as he turned around,

"Hi Rouge, something up?" _Oh yeah, something huge is up for grabs right now_; she forced herself into a calm state she really didn't feel and answered as casually as she could manage,

"Yeah; remember I said I brought that thing in town?" As she expected, he smiled expectantly and folded his arms,

"Yes, I hadn't forgotten that", he smiled and her already racing heart when into a gallop, "don't worry, I'm not angry; I should have treated you then, it was a bit tight not to".

"Tell me about it Scrooge, but anyway, forget all that, I forgot to mention something", she palmed the second most precious thing in her life into her palm and hid it with her hand, "I didn't buy it for me".

"Right", he was understandably perplexed, "Rouge, what…?" Unable to contain it any longer, the worry and stress breaking though even her most formidable barriers, she quickly thrust it into his hand with a breathless explanation,

"It's for you"; she waited for what seemed like eons as the noise in the room fell away to nothing; she didn't spare a glance to see what the cause was; her eyes were on Knuckles' face, his eyes lingered on her as he unconsciously flipped the lid of the tiny box, then he glanced down. Only when his eyes widened, when she could see the light of the reflected diamond sparkling in his wide, shocked eyes did she drop to one knee and ask the question she'd agonised over for months and needed answering like she needed air to breathe and water to drink,

"Knuckles Echidna, will you marry me?"

XXX

All air was sucked from the room in a succession of shocked gasps, the sound of Athair dropping a plate from on high echoing for long moments in the void as for timeless eons the scene remained stationary, not a hair moved, not a word was spoken until finally, a tiny puff of stolen air was returned to the vacuum it's absence had helped create, though it did not return in the form it had been taken; it's returning form was far, far more important,

"Yeah".

XXX

_The woman of my dreams is on bended knee asking me to marry her_; Knuckles' mind had been blown apart by this bombshell; seizing the moment when its oppressive, clinical master had been taken out of action, a soul reached out for its partner, "of course yes". His mind tried frantically to reassert itself and add some order to this madness; _I should say something, something timeless, something true, something…_; he looked down as Rouge turned her face towards him, the sight of her triumphant tears knocked his mind off its perch once more and he was left with only the most basic, simplistic language to express himself; he spread his arms wide as his vision fragmented.

"I bloody love you, batgirl"; he swooped down for her, she launched herself up into his arms; they met halfway, nothing else mattering as together they stood, holding tightly, almost tight enough to hurt only it didn't – at this moment in time, nothing could hurt them, either of them. They heard the cries of delayed celebration as though through thick glass, felt the pats of the back and press of people joining in the hug as though they were clad in padded suits; Knuckles and Rouge were united for all time, and nothing on this earth or any other would ever drag them apart.

XXX

He'd been on the outskirts when it had happened; his shock had lasted fractionally too long and he couldn't get close enough to the new couple to express his happiness for them in person. Tails felt like howling aloud with celebration and he did, sheer joy for two of his friends pounding though his as he saw Athair and an, if not happy, certainly less surly-looking Espio in some kind of crazy dance that was half-on, half-off the floor. It was as he watched this, aching almost to join in, that a sudden thought slammed into his mind like a thunderbolt; two of the most important people weren't here, weren't part of this delirious, wonderful bedlam. Ducking under were Charmy was hovering for a better view and whistling, the fox sped down Haven's tunnels, running like the wind as his spirit was lifted with what he'd just seen, the joy behind it and the certainty that, whatever lay ahead, this night and what it meant for Knuckles and Rouge would never be forgotten.

XXX

It had been sudden; one minute he'd been chatting casually about the stupid things he'd done in his life, trying to think of one that could top standing on top of what was basically a bomb when it went off, the next the door to the hospital had been blasted open so violently he'd jumped a foot off his chair, the remains of his dinner slopping down onto his legs as he and Amy both looked around wildly to see Tails clutching onto the doorframe, gripping one side as though he had the mother of all stitches, though there was a manic grin on his face as he gasped and shouted,

"Rouge just proposed".

Sonic was under the distinct impression that someone had thrown a bucket of icy water on him; he was separated from his body and none of his normal reactions were there – all he was focussed on was what his younger brother had just said. So deep was his shock that Amy was the one who threw it off first and asked in a shocked, awed tone,

"W, what was that?"

"Knuckles, and Rouge", the kit spluttered, his stitch still paining him, "they're going to get married; there was a ring and everything". All of a sudden, much like the unstoppable smile broadening on his face, a flame was lit in Sonic's heart that just grew and grew more rapidly; the second it touched his legs he was gone, out of his chair and away; _I've gotta see this, see them and…wait!_ He made it to the door where Tails had dived to the side before bringing himself to a screeching halt, spinning around and hammering back to the bed where, to his not so great surprise, Amy was throwing off the covers.

"Amy wait, you're…"

"I'm going to beat you to death if you even try and stop me", she snarled with venom, trying to swing her legs out of the now stifling confines of her resting place, "I'll sprint if I have to". Sonic shook his head and lunged down, scooping his arms under her body and giving a mighty heave; he straightened with Amy in his arms and by unspoken command she tucked herself in as tight as possible,

"Put your arms around my neck", he commanded quickly; as she did he winked at his brother, "Tails, you know the drill". The fox nodded and stumbled as quickly as he could with his still painful stitch and latched onto his brother's back, the spines depressed to spare him prickling injuries. When he felt comfortable, Sonic took off, blistering the floor as his speed increased beyond the norm in this place; nothing could stop him seeing this.

XXX

Pandemonium maybe, but a glorious, happy pandemonium; from his first glance, he could tell the new couple were in each other's arms, sharing a kiss as the epicentre of a calm in a sea of roaring, storming celebration. Sonic forced himself to stay calm externally, though he was internally burning up for this as Shadow battled his way through the press towards them, eyes wet but smile undiminished as he posed victoriously,

"Nice one Tails; I was about to come; this is, it's just, awesome".

"I know" was all Sonic said simply, eyes fixed on the two central figures as he no longer registered the weight in his arms; his strength was augmented by the sight in front of him as they broke apart, grinning at each other as though nothing else mattered. _And nothing else should_; Sonic thought fiercely as tears began to form in his vision; _you two deserve each other and nothing less, not after everything you've been through_. Almost as if reading his mind, the blue hedgehog saw Rouge glance at him from over Knuckles' shoulder; their eyes met for an instant and next minute, the newly engaged bat and echidna were walking stately over towards them, the crowd parting before them as though they had in invisible, invincible force-field surrounding them. Sonic stood his ground, holding Amy in his arms as they approached, searching for words and finding only two,

"Well done".

"Thanks"; for a split-second, in this minute of ascension, Knuckles managed a feat impossible; he saw through Sonic's normal mask of coolness into the hedgehog's deepest desires and saw the question he was so desperate yet so fearful of asking; he also knew the answer to it,

"You don't need to ask Sonic", Knuckles held up a paw and placed it tenderly on his oldest friend's shoulder, "you're best man; can't think of anyone I'd rather have there". That did it, the blue hedgehog fell forwards, sobbing with joy and happiness; Knuckles held him softly and Rouge tried not to sound too chiding as she pointed between the pair of them,

"Err, not to break the buddy moment, but you're kind of crushing Amy", there was general laugher as the pink hedgehog's head and white-wrapped feet protruded like a sandwich filling from this strange embrace; Sonic pushed himself away, finding his feet again with tears running down his face,

"I just can't b,believe it", he choked, looking from one to the other, "you two, you made it".

"Yeah, we made it, and you'll make it too the pair of you", Rouge smiled benevolently at the two hedgehogs as she put an arm around her future husband's broad shoulders, feeling him reciprocate as she drew him in close, "nothing's taking us apart now". The bat spoke with confidence, with utter self-assurance, not aware that, seconds ago, under the smoke-screen of wild celebration, someone here had been plotting how to do just that.

A/N: They're made for each other, no arguments about that. Hope this chapter was okay for all the other KnuxRouge fans out there.


	3. Chapter 3 Moving Onwards Looking Back

Chapter 3 – Moving Onwards, Looking Back.

A/N: Apologies for lateness, but a busy schedule all round meant fic suffrage. To my reviewers as always:

HHH (and Soulio of course :-)) – Of course, it had to happen, but how could you not expect Rouge not to pop the question. Come on, Knucks ain't exactly known for admitting his feelings – if she left it up to him she'd be Spectre's age before he plucked up the courage to get down on bended knee. Hopefully one of the Brotherhood can supply said courage (read on to understand)…

KawaiiKuki (KK from now on :-)) – I know it's cute, but please tell me they belong together.

Zippy-Zero (ZZ as above) – The plotter is revealed below, but you'll have to have read A Bloodstone Rose to understand properly; just a handy hint – I don't like people not getting the full picture first time round.

Sojourner started in mute astonishment; not enough that the bat woman, the careless fiend who wheedled her way into his fifth-son's naïve affections, to propose to him, but for him to accept, agree to be chained to this harpy for all time? He was almost physically sick as the realisation struck him a gut-wrenching blow, by the time his shocked mind could begin to comprehend the enormity of this, it was far too late to stop – he turned away as Rouge leeched whatever resistance Knuckles could have had left in him away through her lips. _She is unworthy – my fifth-son is beguiled by her charms, nothing more_; even as he thought it, he knew these words were false.

He was not so cold that he could not recognise love when he saw it; bitterly and with the greatest regret of all, there was no chance of this flame guttering in the winds of harsh reality. Knuckles had somehow forged a bond with this serpent and, much as he would like to, there was no chance of him breaking it. _Or, at least, not on my own_; a sudden thought slid into his mind and spread itself out like a drop of ink in water;_ I might, however, be able to let others take care of this – if anyone it'll be…_ A heavy hand descended on his shoulder and, jarred out his scheming thoughts, Sojourner found himself spun around to see his father's narrowed eyes, rimmed with flakes of dried tears but intimidating nevertheless, boring into him. Thunderhawk measured his son up for a moment before speaking in a venomous whisper,

"Try and split them up and I'll split you down the middle".

"But…"

"No Sojourner", he knew his own son well enough to cut his arguments off instantly, overriding him completely, "I've fought beside them and watched them damn near die for each other; I will be damned to Dimitri's hell of an existence before I let anyone, even my own son, stand in the way of this". Squaring up, though not quite able to meet the purple guardian's gaze, Sojourner sneered his answer back, trying to cram as much sarcasm as was Mobianly possible into the syllables,

"I trust my fifth-son's judgement", he spat the words like they were acid in his mouth before standing up, Thunderhawk's eyes tracking his every move intently, "but my opinion counts for naught; however, thankfully the others can step in and stop this idiocy in its infancy". As his father digested his words, Sojourner stood up and, with a little effort, threw a blast of green energy into the air, the echoing boom of its impact stilling the excited chatter for a minute, allowing him to speak clearly and puncture the hope before it could swell to dangerous proportions. Masking his thoughts, he let his voice ring into the silence,

"Before we get too carried away, if we're not already", he smiled, trying to kid everyone that his words were meant as nothing more than tidying bookwork rather than the scheme he had in mind, "hadn't you two better consider getting this union blessed?"

"We will – I always fancied a spring wedding, what about you Knuckles?" Rouge spoke, trying even now to figure out what Sojourner was after; she didn't buy for one second that he was just playing the concerned grandfather – something was up here, not that it mattered. He could curse and swear all he wanted, but there was no way she was going to let him ruin what Doctor Eggman, Metal sonic and Dimitri collectively hadn't been able to break. The fifth-father looked at her directly and smiled, though as she suspected the warmth didn't extend to his eyes,

"Quite, but I meant the blessing of the parents and, of course", he motioned to where Spectre sat still, the black echidna's face once more unreadable now that his shock had worn off, "the eldest guardian. It's tradition after all; and not just of the guardians if I know rightly". His tone was carefully calculated, there was just enough mild curiosity there to make the statement sound harmless, but to those who were capable of sensing it as Rouge was, the happy thought that this permission would never be granted was obvious. _And worst of all_; the bat thought nervously, visions of what could happen next flitting through her mind and trying to scare her; _he's right._

The fifth-father kept his expression neutral; this was where it would all derail itself. Locke, he knew, was a guardian to the core; he and he alone shared Sojourner's knowledge of the strength that came from denial and how it would help Knuckles in the long run. It would hurt, and hurt badly, being denied this one thing, but when the wound healed over time; _and it will heal, for Knuckles is strong_; he would emerge stronger and a better guardian for it. As nervous glances were exchanged throughout the chamber and unquiet whisperings filled the air, he saw his fourth-son steel himself. _Locke is shielded from pain by exposure to pain_; Sojourner thought as he sat down, not registering the death glare Thunderhawk sent his way and the mental abuse that went with it; _now it his duty to strengthen his son in the same way_. Sojourner was not alone as his eyes followed every movement the previous guardian made towards his son, stopping only when he was arms-length from Knuckles and looking him dead in the eye,

"You love this girl?" The younger echidna hadn't dropped his arm from around Rouge's shoulder, and now that arm tightened its hold as he answered,

"I do".

"You would lay your life down for her?"

"He already did once"; looking around, the fifth-father saw his own father half-stood, pointing at Knuckles and then at Rouge, "they both have; I was there Locke, I saw it". The scientist nodded, accepting his fifth-father's point and turning back; there was a brief pause before his voice spoke once more,

"She's more important to you than the Master?" There was no hesitation,

"She is, by a long shot".

_Wrong answer_; Sojourner had to bite his lip to keep the satisfied smirk off his face; this proved his suspicions. The bat was poison, diverting Knuckle's attention away from his blood-bound duty; now Locke had no choice but to draw out this venom, however much it might hurt his son, however many tantrums he may have to endure. He expected the pronouncement and the universal cries of disgust and denial by the guardian's friends; what he did not expect was for his fourth-son to suddenly smile inexplicably, place his hand gently on his son's shoulder and say,

"Then you have my blessing; both of you. Look out for each other" with warmth, genuine warmth in his voice. Sojourner slumped down in his seat; how had that been possible, had Locke gone mad? Could he not see this was a fatal weakness in Knuckle's guardianship, that there could be nothing in his eyes worth more than the jewel he was destined to protect? While he was furiously trying to grapple his own split mind with fury at Locke's stupidity and panic that his plan had not worked yet, Knuckles for the first time felt something like a glimmer of gratefulness for his father stir up in his soul; slowly, he brought his own hand to cover his father's not breaking eye contact as he felt Locke register the contact.

"Thanks dad"; Locke nodded and stepped back, inclining his head towards the next obstacle in their path – it was Rouge who understood and twisted around to where Spectre sat brooding,

"Well, what have you got to say about this; I'll make it simple. Say yes and we'll get married, everyone's happy, say no and we'll get married anyway". The black echidna's face didn't change, not a muscle twitched as he slowly extended a hand and beckoned,

"Come". Sharing a look and a joint shrug, both treasure hunters approached the eldest guardian; he in turn brought forth his other hand, ready for the procedure he was to undertake. Common sense told both Rouge and Knuckles what was coming next and without a hint of self-consciousness, they brought themselves forwards, allowing Spectre into their minds. Strangely though, he didn't reach up to touch their faces, instead he merely growled,

"Hands". Two gloves hit the floor and both now naked appendages were extended forwards; Spectre took hold of both in each of his hands – it was only then that anyone realised his hands were still covered but before there was a reaction to this, he chuckled,

"No need for my unique gift here; I have seen enough".

With that, he slowly brought his hands together in front of him, allowing the new couple to join their hands. When this was done, he removed his own paws and, leaning forwards, carefully kissed the united paws. As this ancient blessing was witnessed by the Brotherhood of Guardians and their guests, there was an angered shout and a flare of green light as a raging mind forced itself away from this conclave of fools; _this will destroy him – love will hurt you in the end – I know this and know what the outcome of this must be_.

XXX

As Sojourner vanished, Tails, who was closest, had managed to catch a glimpse of his face and the look of such pained anguish had taken his breath away. Recovering, the kit turned to the room at large and asked,

"Geez, what's up with him?"

"Nothing that can't wait until tomorrow", Spectre said brusquely, cursing his grandson again for his seeming desire to crush all happiness from the world and let it join him in misery; thrusting aside all these thoughts with an effort, he looked up once more to his youngest son and the partner he had chosen and who, in return, had chosen him as the one she wished to spend the rest of her life with,

"You both have my blessing and the blessing of the Brotherhood of Guardians…"

"Barring one exception" Sonic cut in, eyes fixed on Sojourner's vacated chair; Spectre frowned for a second before returning to the topic with a start,

"Yes, well, as I was saying, none of us will oppose this union; Knuckles, you have only your mother to speak to and Rouge, your family must be contacted at some stage to inform them of your decision. I will personally ensure any message you send will be delivered with the maximum expediency". The bat flattened her ears in deference and decided this was time to bring her secret into the open; straightening up with a crooked smile, she answered the eldest guardian,

"My thanks, but that'll be unnecessary Spectre; I, er, I don't have a family you see. My mother died when I was young and I, can't remember my father". Spectre's eyes widened; there was a little bit more to this than she'd let on but he wasn't going to press now; there were far more important things on the agenda. The eldest settled back and smiled,

"In that case, someone had better alert Lara-Le to the fact her son's now engaged".

"And that will be me; I leave now", Knuckles said immediately, standing tall as he imagined his mother's face at this new development; now he really had something she could be proud of, "Rouge, will you…?"

"I, er, I don't think that's a good idea Knucks", the bat shook her head, trying to put herself in Lara's shoes as she explained, "this is going to be a big shock for her, so you'd be better off going alone and telling her, then leaving it overnight ad bringing her here; give her some time to come to terms with this".

"A wise suggestion", Sabre said mildly, looking at the bat who would become his granddaughter-in-law with new respect, "it's getting on, so the sooner you leave the better it'll be".

"Right", the guardian gave his future wife a final, long kiss and made to leave, run to his mother and tell her the good news when someone asked in a hesitant, shy voice that really didn't suit him,

"Can I come?"

Tails looked up as Knuckles glanced at him, ecstatic grin still in place as suddenly he changed course and ended up in front of the fox. Sinking to one knee, the echidna looked him right in the eyes and grinned,

"Tails, my mum would love to meet you; of course you're coming; you two as well", he span suddenly and pointed at Sonic and Shadow, "she's going to have to see the best man and his best friend isn't she?"

"Careful" Cream raced over and quickly set her shoulder to buoy up Amy's slipping form; in shock Sonic had let his arms slip and her still-injured feet were sliding dangerously close to the floor. The blue hedgehog regathered both himself and his new girlfriend and whispered an apology that Amy laughed off,

"Don't worry Sonic; drop me off in the hospital wing and then get organised with this lot". The blue hedgehog smiled and, caught up in the spur of the moment, leant down to kiss her gently, whispering his thanks and assurances that as soon as he was able to he'd introduce her to the echidna lady he was about to meet. Spectre watched this new scene of celebration with a reminiscing mind, letting his unique gift remind him of his own proposal to his future wife; it was as he was at his weakest that someone snapped a trap they'd had in mind for a while,

"Fifth-father", it was Sabre speaking, "would you mind if I organised this little trip? They'll never get there otherwise"; _can't deny him that_; Spectre chuckled as he saw Athair dancing some kind of aerial ballet with Rouge, yelling he had a third-daughter to be proud of now. Just this once though, his madness couldn't get Spectre's back up.

"Very well fifth-son; get them organised and get them to Lara's; invite her to Haven to see Rouge once more if she gives her blessing".

"Of course fifth-father"; he heard movement by his side and, grateful that he now had no deliberate interactions, Spectre closed his eyes and enjoyed his mental memories of his own courtship; just as well really, for had he kept his eyes open, he might have seen he was being hoodwinked good and proper and then his temper might have come back to the fore.

XXX

A short while later, Cream was skipping down one of Haven's innumerable tunnels, sometimes with her feet on the ground, sometimes in the air and really not caring either way; she could never remember being this happy for anything in the past. Suddenly the grim shadow of her imposing school term was something to be cherished rather than dreaded, for she'd be able to tell her friends that she was going to a wedding soon. _I'm so happy for them, they're going to be so happy together, I know Lara's going to be happy when she hears about this. I'm glad that Sonic, Tails and Mr Shadow will get to meet her at last – heck, I'm lost and I don't care, I'm happy about it._ The last thought was true; she didn't recognise any of this place but she really couldn't have cared less; all she wanted to do now was run and run until she couldn't go any further; joy and love were fuelling her and she could have run forever. However, this period of eternal merriment was to be brought to a sudden end by no fault of her own, but rather by the accidental forgetfulness of another.

Locke had fully intended to repair the wiring that powered Haven's light source, the fact it had shorted out when his son and his then-girlfriend had just arrived had been hugely embarrassing. He normally prided himself on his excellent memory, but the events that had happened since then had pushed all thoughts of mundane tasks such as soldering in new wires to replace the burnt out ones had been shunted from his head completely and now the price was to be paid. Finally, having lasted much longer than it should have done anyway, the jury-rigged repairs he had affected weeks before finally gave up the ghost. With a sudden pop audible throughout the entire base, Haven was plunged into darkness.

The sudden darkness stopped her cold, but due to her excitedly happy mood it did nothing to scare as it normally might have done, it rather did the opposite. _Who turned out the lights?_; she giggled at her own thought at the same time as trying to remember what Mr Spectre had said the first time she'd been introduced to him. The rabbit concentrated, thinking hard to recall his words; _right, I think he said that the rooms, they're lit differently to the corridors_; she scratched her chin as she tried to picture the black echidna rising to greet her, hear his old but still deep voice roll towards her and the knowledge he had tried to impart; _if I go into one, I have to just clap and maybe a light will come on_. That was right; assured now, the rabbit crossed the corridor slowly, feeling gingerly with her feet to avoid stubbing a toe as she eventually felt the smooth wall under her glove. Flushed with success, she then began to creep along the side of the passage, alert to any cracks or changes in textures that may have been a door. In the darkness time was immaterial, she didn't know how long she kept up this slow but steady progress until finally, she came to a protrusion from the wall. _Aha_; she sized it up with her fingers and recognised it almost at once; _it's a hinge, so that means there should be…oh yes, a handle!_

Amazed at her own calm and powers of deduction in the face of this sudden change of circumstance, the rabbit grinned as she opened the door she'd found and slipped inside. However, the darkness hid all from her, including something very important that would otherwise have kept her well away; due to Locke's error, Cream was unable to see the large red X sprayed on the front of the door.

XXX

The lights popped out and there was a load of panicked muttering, the two echidnas, two hedgehogs and one fox jumped up as the light was extinguished completely, leaving them in the pitch dark. Knuckles heard the leader of the bunch swear under his breath before speaking out loud,

"Fantastic; very well, everyone listen to me – much as this may pain you, link hands and I'll walk you to where we need to go", thankfully there weren't as many complaints as he had feared and after a couple of seconds of fumbling about in the blackness, a hand tapped him on the shoulder,

"Okay, I think we're ready to roll".

"Nice work grandson, now come on all of you; the vehicle's bay isn't far from here".

"Can we go in the Tornado; been a while since I let her out for a spin?" The youth in the voice stopped the train for a second as a shocked answer filtered back to Tails in the rear,

"You can drive?"

"Yeah, I can fly too if that'll help". _Not at this precise moment in time_; with a yank, the crocodile restarted once more with the hurried promise of,

"Yeah, that's not a problem; now let's go – we can't keep Lara waiting"; _and believe you me, if Spectre find out what I'm doing and catches me before we're out this base I'll need more than the Master to save my butt!_

XXX

Fortunately she was right; with a single clap, the lights came on overhead but were set a little too brightly for her to cope with at once. Holding her hands over her eyes, Cream rubbed vigorously until the shock of such bright light faded and she was eventually able to see where she was. It was a bit of a hazy picture at first, but eventually she was able to take a good look at where she'd ended up this time.

It looked like a bedroom and, as she walked a few paces further into this strange new area, she rapidly deduced it was a lady's bedroom. There was a small bed tucked up against one wall far from her with a little table by the head of it and a wardrobe by the foot, the door slightly open and allowing her a glimpse of a few items of clothing hung up neatly and, she squinted a bit, in what looked like a colour scheme. _A bit like a rainbow_; the rabbit thought as her attention turned to the main feature of this place; the large dressing table that stood proudly at the head of the room, the large oval mirror atop it still reflecting the light dimly despite a coating of dust she could have written her name in.

It was only when Cream saw this that she was able to look around again and see things more clearly that she realise this place, as her mother would have said, would never have passed the white glove test. It was neat and tidily kept, there was no argument there, but the dust was inches thick in some places, rising in puffs as she moved around, tickling her nose and forcing her to stifle sneezes as she moved over to the dresser, compelled to find out more about the owner of this seemingly forgotten resting place. The dressing table had been built for someone a little bigger than her; she had to hop up onto the seat and even then the surface came up to her mid-chest, forcing her to stretch for things as her inquisitiveness got the better of her.

She picked up and dusted off one of the neatly arranged items that littered the top of this deserted work surface; _a hairbrush – this is definitely a woman's room._ The rabbit set the grooming equipment back down as a belated sense of intrusion set in on her; this was a private place she had no right to be in, but it was dark outside. Surely the owner of this bedroom wouldn't mind her staying until someone figured out the lights and she could go outside without risking falling and breaking her neck. Shrugging as she realised for that reason alone she was caught here for a while, Cream slid back to the floor, holding her nose against the aggravating dust that swirled upwards from her landing. She watched on as the aerosolised particles caught and shimmered in the light from overhead; fairy dust Vanilla had once called it. As the small dust motes swam in the air, glinting and shining in an intricate pattern, Cream suddenly heeded a sudden, unavoidable urge to yawn; strength seemed to drain out of her as something about this room infected her with an overwhelming tiredness. The rabbit rubbed her eyes and yawned again; _I need to crash_; that bed, small and dusty as it was, suddenly began singing a lullaby she couldn't resist. Dragging her feet and fighting to keep her eyes open, Cream flopped against the side of the bed and then dragged herself up on top of it, the climb feeling as long as trying to conquer one of the smaller Himalayas. She straightened out at the top, her head touched the pillow and she was gone already, dead to the world.

XXX

_It's not possible_; Sojourner paced around his room, dire thoughts and scheme, each more unlikely and far-fetched as the previous one, collided and swirled inside his head; _my fifth-son could never marry someone like her, it undermines him_. There again the same argument, the same lie covering the truth he had buried deep within himself, the truth nothing his family said would ever make him see. He couldn't stop this process now; Locke and Spectre had seen to that – if he'd had the chance he might have gone up against Locke and tried to convince him this was the wrong thing for Knuckles but the second Spectre had sealed the deal that was it. More to distract himself from these dire thoughts than anything else, the fifth-father sent out a mental pulse, scanning for all the guests in Haven...

…and stopped dead in his tracks.

For a second he refused to believe it; there was no way this could be, but as he rescanned and checked his emerald powers, he knew it was. _This is too much_; it took a lot to get Sojourner angry, whatever the rest of his family might say – snappy and argumentative he was as a matter of course, but properly, bone-breaking angry was a rare thing for the former guardian. The inside of his room glowed green as the fires of rage, hot as hell's furnace, sprang up over his body; with a mental thrust he blew the door to his room off its hinges and rushed outside, too wrathful to even consider using his unique gift as all his thoughts raced down the same lines to one terrible word; _desecraters!_

XXX

The Tornado rumbled smoothly to a stop under the directions of the backseat driver; Tails applied the handbrake and popped open his door as there was a general dismounting all around, the happy banter that had filled the inside to the jeep mode on the way here continuing outside.

"How far away are we?" Sonic looked ready to go as he looked at their guide, revving up to get them all their in seconds; however, the former guardian raised a hand to forestall him,

"Wait, wait; more haste less speed; let's look at this from Lara's point of view. How's she going to feel if all of us turn up at once? I reckon one of us aught to go on ahead and warn her she's got company, and I reckon it aught to be you Tails". The fox looked up sharply at the mention of his name, eyes wide,

"What, why me?" The echidna laughed,

"For want of a better word, you're cute; she'll like you more than she'll like any of these reprobates", Sonic, Shadow and Knuckles all glowered good-naturedly as he pointed them out, "turning up on her doorstep. For another, you can fly and get there quickest, it's a bit of a walk. Anyway I already marked the route from here; just follow this and you'll get there in no time, feeling up to it?"

"You bet"; the fox took the slip of paper passed to him and then took to the air, calling over his shoulder, "I'll tell her you won't be long".

"Good, see you there TT" Shadow called as, just behind him, someone rubbed their hands; now Tails was gone, his plan could get to the next stage. Clearing his throat, he gathered their attention,

"Right, everyone follow me; we're taking a short detour".

"No way", as he'd expected, Knuckles raised a paw and shook his head, "nothing's going to stop me seeing mum and telling her what's going on". _Time for the 'pleading old man' routine_;

"Ah, come on, we'll only be a few minutes; just let me celebrate with my grandson". He'd weakened; Knuckles looked troubled, then Sonic stepped in to deliver the killer blow,

"Yeah Knucks, let's do this; we've got all night and I'm sure we won't be long".

"Well", the guardian finally collapsed, eliciting a silent sigh of relief, "okay; what have you got in mind?"

"Don't worry, it's on the way", as the others fell into line behind him, two non-spurred paws rubbed together in glee; he was going to regret this in the morning in at least two dimensions and Spectre would probably never let him leave Haven again, but to hell with that; now he was living for tonight.

XXX

He was there, the glow of his powers reflecting off the wall behind him and silhouetting him in an eerie green light as he forced himself to calm down; he could not damage the entrance to this sacred place, even if there was a foul desecrator within; it had pained him to even mark the door even when Locke had assured him the paint was water-soluble. Reaching forwards slowly, the fifth-father whispered a promise to his absent daughter that whatever had occurred within, he would set right, before pushing the door open and striding inside. His eyes looked around, and the memories of Janelle-Li and the sight before him allowed the past and the present, for the briefest moment, to touch.

_She had been resting, facing away from him; with a smile, Sojourner stepped forwards to admonish his slovenly daughter._

_"Hey sleepy-head, wake up", she was playing hard to get up; normally she was a light sleeper; well two could play at that game – with an evil look in his eye, Sojourner stepped right up to the bed and slid his arm under the blanket, making his final threat,_

_"Janelle-Li, if you don't get up this instant, I will hold your knee until you go blue in the face"; that should have done it; Jan hated her knees being touched, couldn't stand it and screamed if anyone tried; one of the worst punishments grandfather Hawking could dish out was tormenting her like that telekinetically. But this time it didn't, she still refused to stir; Sojourner blinked in surprise, this wasn't like her at all and he was beginning to feel uneasy. To prevent himself think too far on, he carried out his promised threat, fully expecting her to hit the roof and squeal blue bloody murder all through Haven. The second he touched though, he knew with a sickening lurch that something was wrong,_

_Her skin was icy cold; Sojourner leapt back, not believing that such cold existed within his warm, loving daughter. His head swam as he remained stock still for an instant, a hideous eternity when he realised he could hear no breathing save his own panicked lungs. He refused to believe, couldn't believe,_

_"Jan", he raced over once more, denial in his voice and panic in his heart as he gripped her shoulder under the cover, "Jan, wake up!" He didn't want to, but had no choice; with a tug, he rolled her body over to face him, looking at her peaceful, sleeping face, the way it now seemed to be carved from white marble, so pale did it appear under the soft beige fur. Sojourner knew there could be no other reason, knew he would never see her soft green eyes open once more, but couldn't accept it; with a scream of denial, of loss and despair, he felt himself falling down a long, dark tunnel, and he knew there was no escape from this nightmare._

Sojourner fell to his knees as the memory was triggered and the past super-imposed itself over the scene now; for a split-second, he had confused the beige fur of the rabbit and the echidna he had loved above all others and from that there had been no return. His powers fled under the emotional weight that crashed down; he knew that if he took another step, the rabbit wouldn't wake just as his daughter had failed to, and he would be responsible for snuffing out another life that had yet to be lived fully. Tears coursed down his face, the agony of loss and blame his once more to shoulder and he couldn't bear it, it had already broken him. He was forced to his hands and knees, sobbing uncontrollably as his already shattered heart was fractured into ever-smaller pieces. There was no-one who could help and he wished for death, anything was better than this.

"Mr Sojourner!" He felt a hand on his shoulder, then another; someone was lifting him up and supporting him, though they couldn't bear his weight fully; he still had one hand on the floor, "Mr Sojourner, what's wrong?" As if he could talk at a time like this, all hat he knew was grief, but it was suddenly not all; a tiny ray of sunshine entered his mind and he had just enough strength to raise his head and see the one who had come to his aid,

"C,Cream?"

The rabbit had always been a light sleeper and as such had been started to wakefulness by the sound of a heavy thud behind her. As she had rolled over, fear had gripped her at the sight that met her startled eyes; for a second she had thought the echidna in the doorway was having some kind of fit, but it had been the look on his face that had really shocked her; he looked like he were dying, or actually wanted to die rather than live on in the pain he was in. He was on his knees and then fell further; tears had flooded from his eyes and that had galvanised her to act, her heart was too soft to see someone crying and carry on turning a blind eye. She threw herself off the bed and raced over to his side,

"Mr Sojourner", he didn't seem to hear her so, mustering her courage, she tried again, "Mr Sojourner, what's wrong?" _Should I get help?_; she darted a glance through the open door and saw to her horror it was still black as pitch outside – there was nowhere she could go and…

"C,Cream?" The voice was strangled and wracked with sobs, but it felt like her heart finally began to slow down as the echidna at her feet looked up with something like wonder in his face, "you, you're alive?"

The question was like being drenched in ice water, but she still thought he best idea was to answer truthfully,

"Yes, I, er, I'm fine; what's going on Mr Sojourner; you're not all right?" She was right there, he was crying still, but now it appeared less dramatic, less traumatised as with a visible effort he tried to pull himself together and, with a little helping push from the rabbit, managed to get himself to his knees and croak,

"No, no I, forgive me, I was, lost for a moment". This didn't make sense to her, he knew that from her face and, with a sickening certainty he knew he owed her an explanation as to why. Slowly and carefully recovering his feet, he beckoned and led the rabbit from the room, the home of so many of his old ghosts, and gently shut the door behind him, sealing them away in their crypt for a little longer.

"I'm sorry", Cream said the words that sprang to her mind instinctively; _I wasn't supposed to be in there and because of that I caused this_; "I shouldn't have…"

"Not, your fault", the echidna suddenly answered; it sounded like he was trying to mop up his tears as the sniffles in the dark sounded again, "I was, taken aback". The rabbit wetted her lips, morbidly curious as to what had caused him to break down like that,

"By what, Mr Sojourner?"

"That room"; _I owe her an explanation, she's seen too much to be satisfied with less_; the fifth-father tried to explain in the simplest terms, grateful for the darkness concealing his expressions s the wrenched his face, "once, it was my daughters".

"You had a daughter?" Cream hadn't heard this before and questions clouded her mind; there must be a female guardian "where is…?"

It was then, with a heinous twist of her guts, that the knowledge of what that room was, must still be, slammed down onto her like a wave of Antarctic water; _that explains the dust but why it was still tidy – oh no, I really shouldn't have gone in there!_

"Oh Mr Sojourner", the rabbit reached out in the dark and touched skin; heeding her most basic instinct the young girl hugged the relatively diminutive guardian, "I'm sorry, to you and, her; I didn't mean to, I couldn't see". He was taken aback by the contact; _when was the last time I let someone this close_; his mind couldn't remember so it must have been a long time. For a second he was still and then, aware she was about to cry over something beyond her control if he didn't do something, he forced out a gruff chuckle and prised her arms free,

"There's nothing to forgive Cream; how could you see anything when the lights had blown?" He heard rather than saw her withdraw and continued, reaching out his own arm and taking a very soft hold of her arm,

"I'll take you back to your room, is that all right?" she murmured something about that being fine before he continued, "okay, I'll leave you there; I have some things to do afterwards; _and some news to impart._

XXX

Lara-Le straightened up suddenly; as she was in the middle of washing her not inconsiderable dreadlocks, this was undoubtedly a bad thing as they immediately slapped down the dressing gown she was wearing and promptly soaked it completely. She sighed in annoyance as she habitually reached for a towel, wondering what could have caused her to imagine a knock at the door at this hour. Of course, as soon as she finished taming her still damp curls it came again, slightly louder and more impatient this time as she gasped suddenly; _it must be Wyn – who else would it be this late at night? What could he want, I hope everything's okay_.

"All right, I'm coming", she called as she hastily smoothed out her dressing gown and moved swiftly out the bathroom of her home, absent-mindedly taking the keys from their normal hook with minimal difficulty as she ran over a possible load of scenarios in her mind; his house had burned down, there was a family tragedy in this part of town or, as had happened before in the past, he'd forgotten to pay his rent and needed a place to crash until he sorted the mess out. _Dozy get – he'd lose his head if it wasn't glued to his shoulders_; with this thought in her mind and a chuckle on her lips, Lara unlocked and opened her front door, to see something she really hadn't bargained on seeing stood right on her doorstep,

"Hi, um, is this Ms Le's home?"

She blinked, blinked again and shut the door for a few seconds, leaning against it for a few seconds as she ran a hand over her face; _I've been working too hard – too many night shifts have done weird things with my mind, that's what it is. I'll open the door again and it'll be Wyn_. Squaring her shoulders, the female echidna gripped onto the door handle and threw the door open once more; the sudden movement sent the strange furry thing jumping backwards, arm raised as though he'd been ready to knock again. Two nervous blue eyes locked with her green ones as the creature looked up and attempted a weak smile,

"Hello, are you, er, Lara-Le? This is her house right?"

"Um, yes, she is, I mean, I am", she forced her confusion down and managed to beat some semblance of order into her mind as the sight of this strange being had thrown her completely off track, "I am Lara-Le and this is my house". The smile broadened and a sigh of relief filled the air,

"Thank goodness for that, I thought I'd got the wrong address; I know your son Knuckles, I'm a friend of his; call me Tails". Lara shut her eyes for a second, a dim memory of a conversation she'd had with her boy not a few days back whispered back to her as she tried to remember what he'd said about his friends,

"Right, yes I remember Knuckles saying, you're a…fox, right?"

"Yep, that's me", Tails confirmed before Lara suddenly remembered where they still were,

"Please forgive me, come in, it must be perishing out there"; she held the door open a little wider, letting the smaller Mobian slip past into the warm confines of the hall. She shut the door with a slam and turned to face him, drinking in every detail as she now realised he wasn't a threat; _and why his name's Tails come to that_. For his part, the kit whistled softly as he glanced around, finding the change in scenery and taste from Haven no doubt as interesting as Lara-Le must have found him. There was a little pause before Lara made a brave stab at conversation,

"Sorry for not being a hundred percent ready", she apologised, indicating her still damp dressing gown, "I was washing my hair". To her relief, he laughed,

"Been there and done that; if any of us knew Knuckles was washing his hair close by, the first thing we did was break out the umbrellas". The mention brought her back to an original point she wanted answering,

"You know my son well then?"

"Fairly, I mean we were a bit standoffish when he thought we were after the Master Emerald but…" Her blood ran cold,

"Shhh", she looked around as though expecting to see half a dozen ears sticking out the wall; Tails whispered in alarm,

"What, did I say something wrong?"

"You know about the Master?"

"Yeah, but; oh I see", the pieces clicked into place and tails stood up again, though he was thoughtful enough to keep his voice low, "don't worry; I and everyone else, even Cream; you met her this morning right?" the echidna lady nodded and he carried on, "well we all know about it and we're all safe with the knowledge; Spectre's made sure of that".

"Spectre, he'd be Knuckles", Lara held a hand to her head; one of the downsides of guardians living so long was that it was a real tax to try and remember which one was which in relation to the other, "sixth, no seventh-father now wouldn't he?"

"Something like that; but anyway, he can mind-read and according to him, we're all safe to know, though on the other hand I'd have hated to see what would have happened if he thought we weren't".

"Nothing gentle I can assure you; he was a right old battleaxe when I met him, I can't imagine age mellowing him out much", a sudden thought seemed to occur to her, "you've met the Brotherhood of Guardians?"

"All of them", Tails affirmed; catching her questioning look he decided it'd be best to make that concrete, "and just for the record, thought he's nutty as a fruitcake Athair is great". _Yep, she's met him_; she had what Tails had termed the 'Athair shudder' – every time he asked about Knuckle's third-father, every one of the Brotherhood gave that little twitch and grimace of annoyance, even Knuckles.

With the situation now much more at ease, Lara showed Tails into her modest living room, asked if he'd like anything to drink and fixed a small coffee for herself. As she blew the musky smoke curls from the top of the mug, she glanced over at her guest once more; _he seems alright, but it looks like something eating him_. That much was certainly true; since he'd got settled in, Tails didn't seem to be able to sit still; he was restless and constantly twisting and wringing his hands – Lara had worked with a few hyperactive children in her time and prayed inwardly this wasn't another case. Deciding being forthright was the best manner, she looked over and asked frankly,

"Hey Tails, is something bothering you?" The kit met her eye nervously; _I can't tell her – that's Knuckles' job_; it was hard though; he thought keeping Sonic's middle name in was hard, but this was pure torture,

"No, I, er, I'm fine".

"Really", _no, please don't press me_, "I don't think that's right; tell me what's wrong". It was a white-hot steam of pure energy, craving release but he couldn't grant it,

"Nothing; it's Knuckles, he'll…"; Lara's eyes suddenly hardened at the mention of her son's name,

"What about Knuckles?" she stood up and seemed to tower over Tails, the fox suddenly cowering back as she loomed large over him, "he's my son and if anything's up with him, I want to know about it". Those words did it; with something like an internal sun ionising his inside, Tails seized on those words as a form of permission and vented his pent-up news with a blurted statement,

"He'sengagedtoRouge!"

Lara staggered backwards as though she'd been struck a physical blow; _my son, is going to be married_. Tails saw her knees shake and threw himself over to behind her chair, quickly pushing it underneath her as she collapsed onto it, breathing in deep, gasping breaths,

"Listen, it's all fine", Tails tried to reassure her as best he could, "I know they love each other, they'd do anything for each other; I heard them confess it – trust me, it'll all be okay". She didn't ear any of his words, just his voice, and that was enough to send a dagger in her heart,

"Why didn't, why didn't he come? Why didn't he tell me himself?"

"Oh for, I'm so stupid", she looked around to see Tails slap his forehead with his fist before looking at her with eyes full of apology, "I forgot, he is coming; Knuckles is on his way here; he wanted to see you, they're walking here now; him, Sonic and Shadow", he left of the name of the guide as he couldn't quite remember it and, more importantly, Lara had suddenly started crying gently. With a strange, quirky smile on his face, the fox just patted her shoulder, nodding in agreement as he listened to her,

"I knew, first time I saw them together; I found him, and she was there as well. She wanted to leave, but he didn't let her, wanted her to be there as I spoke to him. I knew then; oh by the spirit of the Master, my baby's going to be married, and I know he's going to be a wonderful husband". She beamed even as the tears fell, the young fox by her side listening to her and helping her through this period of acceptance, even if he didn't know he was doing it consciously.

XXX

Having left Cream in her room, Sojourner once more pushed the door to his last nightmare open and crept quietly inside; moving over to the bed, he looked down and traced a single finger down the indent the slumbering rabbit had made. His eyes screwed tightly shut almost involuntarily; _still warm_; her body heat lingered and enriched that which for so long had been barren of life. He lifted his touch unwillingly, even though he knew Janelle could not have caused this heat now, it was so hard to break the endearing illusion. Leaving the bed, he turned his gaze to the bedside table, and possibly the most treasured thing he still possessed; picking it up reverently in his hand, he wiped the thin coat of dust from atop it and, looking once more on her smiling, happy feature, spoke to her as he did once a year,

"Hey Jan", his tone was soft, as though soothing the fears of a child plagued with nightmares, "it's me, dad's here. I've got some news for you now; there's going to be a new member of our family". His lips creased into a snarl as he vented the spleen he still carried for the one who would soon become his fifth daughter-in-law; Jan would know, Jan would understand,

"She's a bat called Rouge and for the life of me I can't see what fifth-son sees in her; she's rude, arrogant, sarcastic, she even tried to steal the Master and", this was it, the final, unbearable gap that forever placed Rouge beyond his reconciliation, "she's so much like you; she'll break his heart when her time comes".

_And come it will_; the glass covering the old picture was cleansed with tears as Sojourner grieved not for himself, as the rest of the Brotherhood thought he did, but for his family, for those who had yet to know of his pain. The guardians had a long life, necessitated by their sacred duty to the Master Emerald, but always there was a price to pay; that they would see their loved ones age and pass away far before they ever would. Every guardian felt that pain but only Sojourner, who had been exposed to it not once with his wife, but twice with his daughter as well, could fully understand it. To love someone dearly, as closely as he had loved his daughter, and then for them to be snatched away, taken before their time by either old age or most recently divorce, was a pain to make death seem a mercy. _Is it not better to never make an attachment, never to know love, than risk it cripple you so_?; it was a catch twenty-two and Sojourner knew that – the guardians must continue their bloodline, but always at the cost of their own hearts. He hated that fact but could not, could never conceive of cursing the Master Emerald, so contented himself with the next best target; those that would marry the guardians and win their hearts as Rouge had done. _Always this conundrum – the guardians will grieve_; yet there was hope too, and recent events had stirred such hope in him that he had not felt in years; the portents were gathering, the time was near;_ until the last prophecy is made clear._

XXX

Spectre settled down; it had been a long day of high emotion and great joy – his seventh-son was to be married, and a fine bride he had. _And a bold one at that – a guardian proposed, can't ever remember hearing of that before_; oh well, that was something for him to scribe in the annals of history, a new chapter of the guardian's lives. The black echidna eased off his helmet, grateful that it's weight was now gone and, as he normally did, gave a last look around Haven; as he expected, Athair had been zipping around even more than usual and was now thankfully taking an early night, Sojourner was for some reason he alone knew in Janelle-Li's old room, Sabre was at his practice and…;_ wait, Sabre? No, he's on the surface, with…no, he can't of, not even he would…oh yes, he can and he has!_

Spectre's eyes shot open, black smoke curling from under his robes as he saw through the trick; he must have faked his fifth-son's voice when Spectre was caught in the celebrations and not really paying attention, then snuck out the base in the confusion. _And not alone either;_ Spectre's nostrils flared as anger consumed him and his gifts realised just how many people he'd managed to drag into this scheme, one of them a minor of all things. The black echidna knew it was childish, knew he was more than old enough to know better and knew most of all he didn't care,

"I'LL KILL 'IM!" Even before the shout died away, he was gone to make use of the fattest and least well-used book in even his extensive library.

XXX

"Where the heck are they?" Tails asked himself for at least the fifteenth time, chin on his fist as he looked at the clock; okay he'd been flying some of the time, but still an hour was too long, something had gone wrong. Lara dabbed her eyes again and smiled, though she failed to hide her own growing concerns completely,

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll get here soon; Locke knows the way like the back of his hand, he's probably just…stopped for a few minutes". To her surprise, Tails chuckled,

"That's no use as it wasn't Locke who got us here"; this simple statement caused a very familiar scent to tickle Lara's nose, and that scent was danger,

"Wait, Locke didn't bring you?"

"No, he ah"; _tricky ground, don't mention the D-word just in case_; "he had to help Spectre at Haven, the lights have all blown".

"Right, okay, so which one of the grandfathers brought you?" _Please say Sabre please say Sabre_; no such luck as Tails scratched the side of his face,

"Umm, it was Thunderbird, something like that; the purple one; is that bad?" he added as he saw Lara slump down and hide her face in her hands, a muffled groan all that could be heard; _if the stories Locke told me were anything to go by yes that's a very bad thing_. She finally realised what the delay was and just about mustered the energy to raise her head and answer when, with perfect timing, a crisp note sounded and her communication disc went off. Tails fell silent and listened whole-heartedly to the side of the conversation he could hear,

"Hello? Ah, Spectre, you must have read my mind", Lara was being as sarky as Sojourner could be; Tails had a fleeting image of the black guardian with the phone held well away from his ear by this point before she carried on after a pause, "things are fine, bar one; my son's gone AWOL and I have here a charming and very pleasant young fox", were it not for the sarcasm Tails would have blushed at the compliment, "who says that he was coming to see me to tell me of his engagement to Rouge the bat". There was another short pause,

"Right, well all's well so far; he then says that you let Thunderhawk come along to show him and his friends the way here, is this right?" The fox watched on with interest and not a little concern as Lara's fixed smile suddenly chilled in to a bare-fanged snarl,

"I see", her knuckles were whitening around the appliance, "well, what time should I expect them? Any time, that's useful Spectre as always". A second past before Tails literally dived behind his seat; Lara had shot to her feet and bellowed down the phone,

"NOT YOUR FAULT! You listen to me; this is the most important news of my life and it might be delayed because of guardian incompetence; if Thunderhawk's done what I think he has, you can forget the coffin; I'll mail him back to Haven in a _matchbox_! I will be there tomorrow, I want to see my future daughter-in-law looking like a super star and believe me if she isn't it won't just be heads rolling. Goodnight!" There was a very audible click as Tails imagined she killed the transmission and just stayed put; maybe if he kept very quiet and motionless, she'd forget he was there. For a few minutes he thought he'd done it until,

"You can come out Tails; I promise I'm safe", he risked a flashed glance before finally exposing himself, trying to contain his shivers and put some spine back in his voice as he stuttered,

"What, was you know, all…" The female echidna sighed and motioned for him to sit down, now looking more weary and resigned than actually angry,

"Well I know what's caused the delay", was there a hint of amusement there now as she shook her head, Tails plucking up the courage to ask,

"Something to do with Thunderhawk?"

"Oh yes, everything to do with him; apparently he's got a very unique way of celebrating good news involving weddings", seeing his look of slight disbelief she sighed once more and finished, "do you know what a stag night is supposed to be?"

"Oh no", horror and complete, utter hilarity warred within Tails as he tried to picture this; two of the most serious Mobians he knew on an all out drinking spree, "not Knucks and Shadow, they wouldn't…"

"They would; Thunderhawk can be very persuasive, and now all we can do is wait until the wind blows them in and try and sort the trash from the treasure", she sat back in a resigned fashion as Tails tried not to laugh, "break out the marigolds, it's gonna be a long night".

A/N: Come on, hands up; who thought it was Athair making a break for it with the others? Next chapter, the during and the aftermath.


	4. Chapter 4 The Morning After

Chapter 4 – The Night Before the Morning After.

A/N: Reviewers ahoy:

HHH (and Soulio!) – Yeah, that was a bit of a problem; I wanted to try and make it a bit less obvious but there wasn't really a way I could think of to disguise whose room it was – Jan was the only female guardian after all. Any ideas – oh and if being bopped on the head with an umbrella's the worst Thunderhawk has to suffer, he's been lucky.

ZZ – Up to speed on the plot so far? That's what I like to hear; this story arc is going to be huge when I've finished it – hope to see you at the finish line, but for now yes, you are going to see Knuckles and Shadow completely snookered.

TH – Good to hear from you once more, my little Red Bull fiend! Hope camp was okay for you, and as for your friend in Newcastle; six days is just nuts! Dan only managed four and a half – what's she made of! Anyhoo, hope this chappie's mad enough for you, and by the way, Penguins aren't just coming, they're already here, in my fridge, where mum keeps buying them for me – I prefer Kitkats on the whole but the oversized Artic birds are still pretty tasty.

After the realisation of what was to come later on in the night, Lara had simply thrown her hands up at it all and simply said they make themselves comfortable; Tails was quite sure the line of,

"They'll get here, or I'll hear they arrived at my work sometime tomorrow morning; either way I'll get my hands on them" would stay with him for the rest of his days. After taking a pew and investing in the liberty of another large mug of the strongest stimulant drink Lara had to hand, it was quite surprising how much actually to talk about and share with each other.

At first, Tails had done most of the talking; he had explained as much as he could about the many adventures he'd had with Sonic and the others, from the very start of his adventures with the blue hedgehog to the recent rescue of Rouge and placed particular emphasis on the role of her son in this extensive saga; he left out the involvement of the Dark Legion as he reasoned Spectre's talk to the council of Echidnopolis would be better able to inform the population of the danger they now faced from the technocratic faction. Reaching into his pouch, he thumbed the buttons on his phone and handed it over to his hostess,

"Press up and down to scroll through them; that'll let you know what we'll be up against later".

As he'd expected, Lara had been extremely interested in the pictures section of his phone; though he'd deleted several of the older pictures, it still held some images that put the guardian in a positive perspective. The echidna had looked over each one of the still images with something like reverence, as though the sight of her son behaving normally and, he noticed with interest, interacting pleasantly with the rest of the gang was a great relief to her.

"So you've know him nearly four years?"

"Give or take a few months", Tails agreed amiably, trying to keep her as good-natured as possible as Sonic's future health might depend on her temper, "like I said he was a little wild when we met him first off, but when he figured out we didn't want the Master Emerald he cooled off and helped us out". She smiled; _yep, a guardian through and through_;

"I'd expect nothing less; Locke was just the same when we first met; I thought he was rude and fairly conceited at first but, there was something there I couldn't help but love". _Uh oh, dangerous ground_; Tails cleared his throat – Knuckles had said his parents were divorced, but hadn't told any of them the reasons why and the fox was not going to risk treading on that thin ice for fear of offending the guardian's mother. He tried to change tack,

"Ms Le, believe me when I say your son's a hero; if it wasn't for his help Dr Eggman would have taken the world over and corrupted the Master Emerald for all time; maybe he'd have made it so Echidnopolis could never have come back".

"You think he could have?" Lara was shocked by this; though Tails had said the obese human was insane and done his best to highlight his megalomania, she still had trouble believing he could have wrested control of the Master Emerald from the guardians, especially if the Brotherhood had been forced to come to Knuckles' aid. Tails nodded vigorously,

"I like Eggman about as far as I can throw him but I have to respect the fact he is a genius. I really couldn't tell you what he's capable of but if he'd found out you were in there, he'd have done whatever it took to hold you all to ransom, and if he ever discovered about the Chaos Siphon", the fox shook his head, trying hard not to think about Eggman with a machine capable of limitless Chaos Emerald production at his fingertips as it sent shudders down his spine.

They had lapsed into a few minutes silence after this, during which Lara had asked politely if he wanted a refresher for his drink and he had equally politely refused; too much coffee did bad things to the fox's nervous control and as a scientist he prided himself on his steady hands. As Lara re-entered the living room, the fox flicked his eyes to the clock on the wall and realised with a jolt that midnight was less than half an hour away.

"Where the heck are they now?" He didn't realise he'd spoken out loud until Lara laughed as she set her mug down,

"If Thunderhawk's anything like I remember him, probably on their hands and knees crawling to the next watering hole", her green eyes suddenly solidified to pure gems of mischief mixed with malice as she rubbed her clenched fist with a free hand, "oh, I'm going to make his life hell tomorrow morning". Tails let his own evil grin edge onto his face, shunting aside the brewing yawn with a grated statement,

"Just as long as you leave Sonic to me; after all his talk about people keeping him waiting and now this – Rouge is going to have a field day, and so am I come to that". Lara looked up in mild interest,

"Rouge and Sonic don't get on?"

"Huh, oh no", the kit tried to correct his mistake as it seemed Lara had taken the wrong end of the stick, "they get on fine, they just can't resist winding each other up whenever they can; Sonic managed to get one over on her at Christmas and I just know she'd going to be itching for a chance to get her own back on him".

"Oh I see, sort of a love-hate relationship", Tails nodded and smiled; Lara echoed the gesture before deciding it was time for her to take the lead in this conversation, making plain her own observation, "you're a very polite young man you know".

_Eh?_; Tails wasn't sure where that had come from; he glanced up to see Lara looking at his confusion with mild amusement,

"Sorry, what do you mean by that; I mean, thank you and all, but I don't…"

"You never speak ill of anyone, so far as I can tell", the echidna sipped her drink as the fox watched on, confusion now more evident than ever until she continued, "even that doctor Eggman, you said he was a genius despite the fact he's tried to take over your world on several occasions".

"Well, credit where it's due", Tails positively squirmed under her compliment as he tried to give his reasons, "I mean, some of the stuff he built was great and could have done a lot of good in the world; he was just mad with it". Lara raised an eyebrow before sighing,

"Strange isn't it – for every good person in the world, there's someone else to counter-balance them". Tails shrugged and, on a spur of the moment, took hold of his empty glass,

"Well, can't just be good in the world; imagine how boring that would be", Lara smiled reluctantly, infected with the light-hearted truth in the statement as the fox raised his mug and toasted, "to balance; keeping thing level between good and bad and making the world a fun place to live". The smile evolved into an all-out chuckle,

"I'll drink to that", Lara raised her cup before draining the contents; as the lukewarm coffee drained to her stomach, she giggled again, "what do you reckon Knuckles and the others are drinking to now?" Tails glanced at the clock again,

"If any of them can speak coherently I'll be amazed, but anyway I'd say probably about three or four in the morning as a rough guess".

The minutes slowly ticked by; gradually all avenues of conversation were exhausted and silence began to prevail more and more. Tiredness became more of an issue as both Tails and Lara-Le were forced to yawn more and catch themselves from falling into a cat-nap they might not have recovered from, each striving to maintain the vigil and await their wandering friends and family. The tension mounted with each slow turn of the clock hands; all the unused seconds and minutes ticking away behind a dam of reckoning that would, when the time was right, be broken and sweep away those who had sinned in a tide of retribution. To stave off the boredom and encroaching fatigue, the two waiters were bouncing ideas around as to how best deliver the punishment,

"It ought to be a bell", Tails sat up suddenly, a new idea fermenting in his sleep-deprived mind as he gabbled his plan, "they'll not be feeling a hundred percent in the morning, so we stuff a bell over their head and smack it with a hammer; whole new meaning to the phrase 'ringing headache'". He laughed at his own joke as Lara shook her head, the dreadlocks touching her skin and fur helping her to remain awake,

"Good idea, but nah – were we going to get a bell this time of night?"

"Ah, never thought of that", Tails conceded before smiling again, "now if we had an air-horn, that'd wake them up good and proper".

"An air-what? What's one of those?" Lara hadn't heard of this invention, something Tails cottoned onto a few minutes after he'd made the statement,

"Oh, never mind, nothing too fancy; just makes a lot of noise", Lara gave a soft 'oh' of understanding as the fox shook his head, defeated once more, "so, guess that just leaves us with your idea of an icy bath first thing in the morning".

"Yeah; I'll teach Thunderhawk the meaning of the phrase 'cold shoulder'", Lara assured herself before breaking out into a huge yawn; by the time her mouth closed fully she saw Tails had his eyes closed, though he couldn't be asleep as he was sat straight still, tense as a board.

"Tails, something wrong?"

"Shshsh", he held up a hand, not opening his eyes as other acute senses came into play; a slight smile curled his lips as he beckoned her forwards with two fingers; Lara staggered to her feet, eager to hear what her new friend had to say as he opened his eyes and grinned fully, "well, I reckon it's nearly time to put your plans into action; listen". Acting on the instructions, the echidna lady strained her ears; for a second there was nothing and she looked back questioningly,

"Keep listening; my ears are keener than yours"; _okay, can't arguer with that...hmm, still can't hear anything, give it another, couple of…aha_; Lara let free her own grin, tapping her fingertips together in readiness as it filtered through to her; very faint but certainly heading closer all the time, in very loud, very raucous and certainly very drunken voices, four people were singing.

XXX

They had their eyes fixed on the door, listening intently as the carousing foursome must have slowly approached the house and door they now sheltered behind. As the lyrics became loud enough to decipher, though they were admittedly slurred and mingled together to a degree most people would have been unable to untangle, the bawdy nature of the songs their respective friends and family were attempting to sing made them cringe; at a particularly long and warbled note, Lara lowered her head onto her hand, cheeks red,

"My neighbours are never going to let me live this down"; Tails patted her shoulder reassuringly as he recognised Sonic's voice; as best he could tell, the blue hedgehog was trying to yodel. Loudly. In a very off-key and high-pitched voice.

"Don't worry; if they come knocking, deny all knowledge and say the four strange mounds in your back yard are part of a flower display".

"Don't tempt me", she chuckled; this laugh curdled to a strangled grimace as there was a heavy thud and a tinkling crash, "alas poor date seeds, I knew you well; okay Tails brace yourself; that was my front gate so they should…" She was cut off by a heavy knock on her front door and a voice sloshed its way through the thick wood,

"Heloo mum; anyone home; thish is right right?"

"Yep, number tweven senty", a fainter voice answered; a second later the knocking resumed, possibly even louder as the two in the hall were caught between the impulses to laugh or cry and rendered temporarily immobile,

"Helllooooo; mum, lishen, got schum good noos; I'sh getting married – yippee!" Lara' shoulder heaved and Tails decided it really was better now than later; the echidna woman looked like she might make Rouge a widow before she'd even managed to walk Knuckles up the aisle if this carried on much longer. With his temper in check and his heart in his shoes, the fox stepped forwards, placed his hand on the door handle, bit the bullet and swung it open fully, already braced to spring aside should the inebriated guardian be leaning on it and collapse. Luckily this wasn't quite necessary, though he still needed to make a rapid exit as Knuckles tried to knock again twice before seeming to realise he wasn't making any more noise. As the echidna looked around blearily, Tails managed to recover his tongue and point a shaking finger at the sodden little bundle Knuckles had slung over one shoulder,

"What happened to Shadow?"

_It's okay, I think he's breathing_; that was about all the good news Tails was able to get before Knuckles, seemingly engaged by this question, pivoted his body around fully to look both to the left and right of himself; the fox winced as Shadow's head clunked twice against the doorframe due to the movement,

"Dunno, he washerea minute ago dough" Knuckles managed to slur as he took another half-stumbled step inside, thankfully putting the black hedgehog out the way of further cranial trauma as Tails tried once more,

"You're carrying him"; he pointed to the limp hedgehog's body as Knuckles tried to follow the finger with his eyes alone; he must have managed to catch a glimpse of a pair of black thighs as his glassy eyes widened in childish amazement,

"Oh yeah", he dropped his shoulder and Shadow was left to slump unceremoniously to the floor, Tails being too stunned to catch him as he hit the deck with a squelchy splat, "fought I wuz walking a bit lop-shided". Tails wanted to cry in frustration but was prevented even this luxury as Knuckles, now finally aware the fox existed, swayed forwards alarmingly and spoke again,

"Hey Mails, wherf you bin? You misched a helluva night"; _Christ in Heaven above_; Tails was forced back a pace by the echidna's breath alone; he couldn't just smell the alcohol there, he could virtually _taste_ it! Luckily for his vastly insulted nose, all of a sudden Knuckles couldn't have cared less about him; he'd just seen something else that was much more interesting as he broke into a lumbering run, his arms flailing wildly and a stray spur scouring a gash down one of the strips of wallpaper,

"Mum!" Lara never stood a chance as all of a sudden her son was on top of her; she was wrapped up in a leather-clad embrace that stank of beer, smoke and BO and half-swung around like a rag doll as Knuckles hollered, "good to shee you gain, but lischen, you gotshta shay yesh; Roush shayed yes, well, I shayed it firstest, but den shee shaid yesh, so den dad said yesh, so if you shay yesh too, we'll all haz shayed yesh".

"It'sh true"; through the gaps between his fingers Tails saw with dread that the last two members of this little party were unfortunately both still conscious and making a concentrated effort to raise the dead; both Thunderhawk and Sonic tumbled over Shadow's sprawled form and went to the floor heads-first. _I am never, ever going to drink in my life, ever_; it was as he saw the hedgehog and echidna leaning against each other as they tried to stand up, looking for all the world like some kind of casualty in a three-legged race, that Tails swore that solemn promise; _anything that makes you look that stupid has got to be a miss in my book_. Sonic was up on one knee and supporting the sixth-father as he staggered to his feet; Thunderhawk managed to stay stable for a couple of seconds before seeming to be magnetically drawn to the wall; he slid down it and sank down to a sitting position,

"Ah, this'll do me good; nice'n'softly, thatsa way t'be".

"You pixshie", Tails formed his hands into a noose, murder sorely tempting his mind as his brother stood up tall; it was as he did so that the fox realised someone must have sprayed a can of something into his hair as his normally blue quills were flecked with brown, "I could go on all night; jush you ask Tiles, he'll sashso". Giggling, Thunderhawk pointed directly as the fox as he contemplated if there was any way he could feasibly make Sonic's untimely death look like an accident,

"Oaky, I will", the echidna looked to a point just to the left of Tails and spoke in what he must have thought was a serious tone, "Tiles, can Schonic go all night?" There was a cracked laugh from behind him; that was it – he wasn't going to take this any more,

"How the hell can you do this?" He let him have it with both barrels and no holds barred; he marched up to Sonic and prodded him hard in the chest with a strong finger, "You're in the house of a stranger you don't even know, blind drunk and staying the most stupid things imaginable; how the hell can you stand there and do it? Answer me that!"

For a second there was silence; Sonic actually looked a little abashed as he raised his finger to his lip, apparently thinking hard; Tails was still breathing heavily as he waited for the answer he could see being processed in the blue hedgehog's alcohol-addled brain. He didn't move as Sonic suddenly looked down at him, eyes still glassy as he raised his hand above is head and spoke, seemingly reminded of something,

"Schgud point bro; I asherly can't"; with that, his knees gave way. Right onto Tail's toe.

He held it in; the sudden pain had almost battered down his pain threshold and forced out a scream, but he managed to keep it bottled up, waving his arms and dancing around like a maniac as he screwed his face up against the pain. Thinking along completely the wrong lines, Sonic reacted to this development and caught his brother with a hug worthy of Amy in her heyday,

"I know; Knuckiz gonna get hished to Roush, enuf to make yoo wanna sching; Funderhawk, howsh it go again?"

"Dere onesh wash dis old man…?"

"Dashit; sching along Tailsh"; the hedgehog burst into song with Knuckles' sixth-father as the captive fox concentrated all his energy on trying not to breath; he really, really didn't want to know what bar Sonic must have dragged himself out of to get this bad, but by thunder he didn't want another lungful if Knuckles was anything to go by. He could feel the blood pounding in his ears in time with the terrible singing – he was sure he was turning blue in the face; _great, I can see it now on my gravestone – 'Here lies Miles Prower, friend of all. Asphyxiated by his brother's beer breath'_.

"…and de old man walksh for schome reason", Sonic warbled in his ear, trying to make it up as he went along due to Thunderhawk not keeping up, instead seemingly content to repeat the first line over and over like a stuck record, "and he found hisch missus waiting forim with a stic-ick!" _Release from the nightmare_; a red-orange blur had swept up behind the inebriated hedgehog and suddenly the awful singing had stopped, the constricting grip had loosened and, as he stepped back, Sonic fell forwards, attempting to inhale the carpet in his enforced slumber. Tails raced outside and blew out the breath he'd been holding, breathing in deep, sweet lungfuls of cold night air as he tried to dislodge the reek of roaring drunks from his nostrils. He fell into a crouch with his hands on his thighs as the last of the singing stopped; after a few seconds of silence in which the ringing of his ears had begun to disperse, he heard Lara again,

"Hey Tails, feeling all right out there?"

"I'll be fine", he gasped, still ventilating his blood again as he brought himself to his full height and stretched off, yawning again as those last few hectic minutes knackered him more completely than the long wait that had preceded them. Suddenly the few steps back into the house seemed a complete trek and he came close to collapsing when the doorway loomed and the carnage inside beckoned.

_Well_; the fox thought fatalistically as he stepped over the threshold and as a consequence Shadow's comatose form; _at least they're not going to be making any more noise anytime soon_. That was certainly true; Sonic and Shadow were both out, all he could see of Knuckles were his feet as they stuck out the entrance to the living room and Thunderhawk was slumped against the wall, now snoring away like a badly-tuned buzz-saw. In the centre of this Mobian wreckage, towering over all like a proud and wrathful god, Lara-Le stood with her hands clenched into her dreadlocks, threatening to rip them out from the roots as she gazed around the bodies. Her jade eyes met Tails and, by unspoken command, he shut the door behind him and covered his ears,

"NiiiaaaaaAAAARRRGGGHHHH!"

XXX

Tails marvelled as the echidna lady somehow released all that pent-up fury, anger and momentary urge to do unspeakably bad things in one long, echoing shout; he could virtually see the fury venting itself like lava from a violent volcanic eruption. Tempting as it was to join in, he knew he couldn't simply because he was too tired to muster the energy to do so; he simply waited placidly until the noise died away and Lara seemed to return to her body from the plane of anger she'd seemed to be recently inhabiting, seeming to almost physically shrink as the rage deserted her. She drew in a claming breath and looked down at the problem now facing her,

"Feeling better?"

"Marvellous", she admitted freely, a quirky smile on her lips as she pointed as where her son now lay flat on his back, half in and half out of the living room, "and I always thought Locke was exaggerating when he said Thunderhawk drank him under the table the night he proposed to me; I guess I was wrong".

"You must have been", Tails agreed, surveying the scene once more before a thought occurred to him, "by the way, thanks for getting Sonic off me; I never knew you knew self-defence". Lara smiled as she tried to look demure at the same time as demonstrate a head high roundhouse kick,

"What can I say; I took a few classes just in case".

"Was your dad called Bruce by any chance? Don't worry", he said to her look of slight confusion as he sighed in exasperation, changing the subject as he pointed, "so what do we do with them; if you need a hand with the digging, just hand me a shovel. After that little episode I can see there sometimes is a cause for fratricide".

"I don't think the EST would buy it though; come on, give me a hand with him", Lara bent down and rose with Knuckles' feet in her hands, grunting with the effort as she puffed, "we'll just dump them in the guest room for now; sorry but I only have two bedrooms". Tails dredged up some energy from an as yet untapped inner reserve as he gave her the nod; the two heaved and, after a series of fits and starts, hoisted the comatose guardian up and began to manoeuvre him from the hallway.

"Don't sweat it, I can kip on the settee", the fox huffed back, nudging open the door she indicated with his rump and backing inside; glancing over his shoulder he saw the silhouette of a bed and edged round to let Lara in and get Knuckles parallel with it and then, with a final mighty heave, toss him onto the soft covers, where his snores soon began to echo through the darkness. Tails wiped his sweaty brow and shook his head,

"I still can't believe they did that; of all the nights they could have gone and got plastered why did it have to be tonight, and why did I volunteer to come along?"

"Ah Tails", Lara put a comforting arm around his shoulders and smiled, "this is what is technically known as a laugh or cry situation, let me explain", the smile deepened, a little darker now as the echidna carried on, "they've done their laughing tonight, so tomorrow it's our job to make sure they start crying for it, and believe me they will". Tails suddenly snorted with laughter of his own, almost doubling over and as he did so, bumping his arm against something hard in his pocket; an idea came to him, so perfectly formed and diabolically twisted it just had to be done,

"Well", he smirked to his partner in crime, "why put off 'til tomorrow what you can start today"; he held up his idea and, after a fast and furious conversation, the two left to get the next model for their newly inspired masterpiece.

XXX

"Got it Tails?"

"You bet, this'll be one page of the album Knuckles won't want to touch with a barge pole" the fox assured her, his tails spinning and taking him off the ground as Lara watched on, amazed as his powers of flight were made manifest before her very eyes. He brought the appliance to his eyes and she shut her eyes against the light,

"Hmm, still not right; I know"; he flew over from his position on at the foot of the bed and gently reached down; Lara went on tip-toe to see what he was doing and immediately fell back, hands over her mouth to keep the giggles bottled up,

"You evil little creature", she was alarmed at his daring as he hovered back, "that's just wrong on so many levels".

"I know; isn't it great?" Without further ado, Tails hit the button and secured all the bribery he could ever have wanted from his friends; he fell to the floor and Lara led him out, exhausted but happy as their labours were completed for the night.

"Good, right then, goodnight Tails; don't bother setting any alarms in the morning; I can guarantee we'll be up before any of them could be".

"Okay Lara, see you in the morning". With that, the echidna and fox both bade each other farewell for the evening and retired to their beds, each waiting for the coming dawn and the opportunities it could bring.

XXX

It was a comfortable, warm place he was in; the covers were soft and the blanket underneath him was firm but still yielding, supporting his bodyweight easily as he finally began to stir. The darkness caused by his still closed eyes was a safe place to be; it was a strange limbo he found himself in; it was perfect for peaceful contemplation save one thing, a single matter he really needed to resolve before this place could truly count as a benevolent paradise.

He really needed whoever was smacking his head with a hammer to stop. Preferably right now.

Each beat of his heart was magnified a thousand fold to deliver a punishing punch right to the centre of his brain; Knuckles moaned as his body, no longer safe beneath the comforting blanket of alcohol-induced sleep, rebelled against the rough treatment he'd put it through the previous night. _Oh my God_; he couldn't remember the last time he'd been in more agony than this and by thunder he really wished he'd never have to be in this much pain ever again; _at what exact point did that seem like a good idea?_ He drew in a great rattling gasp of air, the movement of oxygen only serving to wake him up more and as a consequence really let his body know just how ticked off with him it really was. He was sure the inside of his mouth now needed a government health warning and a fifty-year decontamination plan to class as even remotely safe, and someone seemed to have poured quick-setting cement into his sinuses; they snuffled and flapped noisily as he drank in another deep breath. _And that's just the head_; like water trickling through a thick fabric, the echidna's consciousness filtered down into through his thick, cracking neck and then onto his aching shoulders, though curiously one of them seemed to hurt more than the other. His body was sore though he could have almost have sworn he hadn't been in any kind of fight and he really didn't want to think about his legs; they were cramping like there was no tomorrow and he could sort of see their point; the rate he was going there might not be.

_What the hell did I do last night?_; Knuckles still didn't open his eyes for fear of what he'd see if he did as he tried to coerce his poor, aching mind to show him what had happened. Unfortunately it was pretty much a blank, though he did have to wonder if at some point he'd tried to climb a lamp post with his hands tied behind his back whilst shouting to the world that he was Athair and could fly off of it. He must have tried to challenge Thunderhawk to an arm-wrestling match though; there was no other explanation as to why his left arm felt like someone had run it through a mangle. He was so lost in this cataloguing it was only after several seconds and far more brainwork than it was worth that he realised his leg was being got at by something.

"Oh no", the voice went off like a depth charge in his suddenly super-sensitive ears and he gritted his teeth against the resurgent pain as it droned on in a hoarse whisper, "I can't feel my leg!" He felt implied to make a relevant point here,

"That's my leg"; _I really should know that voice you know_; he couldn't seem to drive his mind out of neutral and, bereft of options, took a wild stab in the dark,

"Sonic?" The thing that had been nibbling his leg seemed to crawl off as he felt pressure on his left side and the same voice hissed into his ear like a steam whistle,

"Knuckles?" He gave a bit of a nod as a there was a groan from next to him; he had the impression the blue hedgehog was feeling about as rough as he was, "how're you feeling?"

"Like Eggman sat on me", the echidna moaned, trying to muster the energy to cover his still shut eyes with his hands and wipe away the sleep he could feel clinging there, "what's going on?"

"It's called a hangover sixth-son", _ow, ow, lower the voice, lower the voice_; "believe me it gets better over time". He could recognise Thunderhawk's voice from the deepness, but where was the purple echidna? He knew he was in bed and, he held back a shudder as he realised Sonic must have been by the left side of him and, he felt to the right and pricked a finger, yep, Shadow must have been over to the right, still in Lala land. There was only one way he could do this and locate his sixth-father; gradually moving his arms to just beside his back, he pressed up, trying to conquer the screaming ache in his shoulders as he slowly blinked his eyes open.

The room was dim, but even that light was far too bright; his eyes automatically rebelled and slammed the lids down; it was a long, hard battle of negotiation of forced them to show themselves once more, and even when they did it was no better. The weak light played in dizzying patterns over his retinas and his suddenly queasy stomach lodged an appeal to have them shut; he had to exert more of a struggle than he would have like to overturn it. He could see a vague outline at the foot of the bed and, after squinting for a few seconds, managed to realise this must have been Thunderhawk, curled up at the foot of the bed and apparently in the same dire straights as he was. He flumped down again, the action drawing immediate protest,

"Don't do that red; my guts' gonna blow". Knuckles ungritted his teeth again and leaned over to see Sonic facing away from him. Snorting, the echidna answered,

"Stop talking then".

"Good idea", Thunderhawk put his weight behind this proposal, "sound hurts".

"Right, no-one move or speak" Sonic agreed upon and the other two conscious Mobian agreed, each left to stew in their own thoughts. Knuckles concentrated on breathing in and out; somehow the air seemed to be throwing his appalling headache back, sending it packing for good this time. _Well, that wasn't as bad as it could have be…;_ that train of thought was crashed immediately as there was a noise like the world exploding all around him – for a second he was sure he was dead, the next thing he would hear would be the angels calling for him; of course, he had to be wrong in this,

"GOOD MORNING!"

XXX

He'd heard movement from the kitchen and pleaded with his face at Lara; after a couple of minutes her resistance had crumbled and she'd let him go with the following words of wisdom,

"Okay, I need a few minutes to get ready; remember now", she had lent forwards and grinned malevolently, "make them suffer!" _Well, that part's easy_; Tails had a huge smile on his face as he watched the trio on the bed writhe in purgatory as he stoked the fire, clapping his hands between each of his next words,

"Wakey, wakey rise and shine", amazed at his own daring he strode over and shook Sonic's shoulder, 'accidentally' pulling his hand away from his ear as he bellowed next, "come on, up and at 'em". The blue hedgehog had his body held rigid as a waxwork, his mouth open in a grimace of pain and his eyes wide and staring; he looked like the Mobian version of Frankenstein's monster. _It's alive_; Tails had to laugh at this as he skipped away and artfully dodged a feeble flap from Thunderhawk, eyes sparkling as he saw what had to be his next target,

"Stop it you sadistic little fiend", the elder echidna moaned; he followed the fox's course with his eyes and started in panic, "no, not the…" Too late, with his biggest smirk yet, the fox ripped the curtain back and let light flood into the room.

Tails laughed out loud as all three who were awake suddenly recoiled and hissed sat the sudden illumination, even this weak winter sunlight playing havoc with their hangovers. He watched on with interest as Knuckles' flailing arm knocked Shadow as he tried to cover his eyes; it was as the black hedgehog suddenly went from horizontal to ninety degree sitting position with both hands clapped over his mouth he realised this was serious; better than anyone he knew that never came out of the carpet.

"Oh no you don't", he raced over and seized the black hedgehog, pulling him out of his pit and running for the door, admonishing him at the same time, "this is your fault, and you better hold it in, it's not far; Lara had to put up with you lot last night so now you're paying for it". _Second on the left_; he threw the door open with one hand and Shadow in with the other; with all the grace of an obese duck the former ultimate life-form staggered and fell to his knees, gripping the toilet rim as though it were a dear friend – fortunately for Tails the door swung shut at this point and spared him the sight, though the frantic gurgles and splashes stayed with him as he banged on the guest room door,

"You lot, kitchen ASAP; and believe me you'd better be quick". Without another word, shaking with giggles, the fox headed for the kitchen and spoke,

"Hehe, they're on their way and…" it was then he looked around and his voice died; like a rabbit in the headlights he found himself helpless, pinned to the floor as he saw Lara, sitting at her chair with a paper by her side and The Look All Men Fear From Women on her face.

From the five-year old with his hand in the cookie jar to the fifty year old with his personal assistant on his lap, there's not a man alive who doesn't know that indefinable look that just radiates the message 'you're in trouble'. Tails gulped, his knees suddenly weak as The Look bored deep into him, exposing every wrong-doing, laying bare his most minute transgressions and he still couldn't look away, paralysed as the echidna lady grated,

"Good; take a seat Tails". Eventually, helped by the realisation she actually had The Look trained at a point about six inches above his left ear, the fox sidled off to the side of her, suddenly shivering as he took his place meekly, occasionally sneaking glances at her face. It was in credible; she somehow didn't blink and merely kept that bale gaze locked onto the entrance to the kitchen, the entrance which, Tails now heard with a thrill of expectation and pity, someone was now shuffling down and complaining, just waiting to walk right into the crosshairs. He half-wanted to shout a warning but decided against it for his own health, sitting silently as Lara moved her hand to the newspaper and began rolling it up into a tight coil, ready for the appearance of her unsuspecting target. Tails winced on the echidna's behalf as, with a half-muffled curse and a no-doubt aching head, Lara began on her targets,

"Ah, Thunderhawk".

XXX

All thoughts of turning on the patented guardian charm were blown away by her first two words alone; with the full knowledge that he was going to turn right into his impending doom, the lavender echidna was faced with a choice; either take it like a man or fall down pleading and screaming like a little girl. _Worst come to worst, plead insanity;_ swallowing a lump in his throat, Thunderhawk gradually looked around with guilt suffusing his face, brought to the surface and highlighted under the harsh beam of Lara's Look.

"G,Good morning Lara; I…" He cut himself off as he saw the newspaper she was carrying twisted violently; somehow the image of those hands on his neck just wouldn't leave him alone as she stepped off her stool,

"Good night last night, was it?" The tone was perfectly measured and calm, much like the eye of a hurricane; one toe out of line and he knew he'd be right in the thick of it;_ curse this hangover, I can't think straight_;

"No, er, fairly quiet really". Lara replied with the sort of smile a tiger might give before it pounced on an unsuspecting deer,

"I think my neighbours would disagree, and so would I come to that"; she was moving forwards steadily and, as though pressed by an invisible force field, Thunderhawk felt himself shrink backwards, stopping only when the searing cold of the kitchen units pressed into his back and even then he leaned as far away as he could get.

"Just thought I'd get it out the way", he babbled, The Look reducing his mind to mush at this steadily decreasing range, "there weren't any women involved, or anything other than drinking, we were just…" He was cut off this time as Lara, realising her quarry as a full head an a half taller than she was, solved the difference in the simplest way possible; Thunderhawk was dragged down to her level by a couple of dreadlocks as Lara-Le's voice sank to a bone-chilling whisper,

"Getting absolutely hammered, leading my son into bad habits and stopping him telling me, his mother, of the fact he was now engaged. I had to rely on one of his friends letting me in on that little secret; did that cross your mind Thunderhawk? Did it?"

"I'm sorry", he was a mouse in the trap, scrabbling for any excuse, "I wasn't thinking right; I just wanted a celebration with my sixth-son".

"You got that right", Tails winced from his seat on the sidelines as it appeared Lara was trying to tie some kind of bow under the lavender echidna's chin using his own dreadlocks, "you weren't thinking at all. And thanks to that, your sixth-son, my only son, arrived on my doorstep drunk as a monkey and babbling complete nonsense!" It was at this point in the proceedings that Sonic staggered into the picture, Knuckles trailing behind him, both looking distinctly under the weather as the blue hedgehog made a fatal mistake; he tried to reason with a woman on the warpath.

Tails braced himself as it was obvious what Sonic was planning and equally obvious that it really was not going to work; sliding over with what he thought was an amiable smile, the blue hedgehog sidled up to the storming echidna and spoke in what he must have assumed was a reasoning tone,

"Hey, hey no need for…"

"Shut up!" Lara rounded on him and Sonic backed up several paces, the echidna dogging every pace and prodding his chest with a very firm finger, "Sonic is it? Well a fine example you set for your younger brother last night; drunk and making enough noise to wake the dead. You've saved the world, he told me; from what I saw I wouldn't trust you to save a seat at a deserted bus-stop! How Tails turned out as well-mannered as he did with you as a role-model's beyond me", the fox in question hoped she wasn't going to turn around at this point as he doubted being slumped over the table trying desperately to fend off bouts of hysteria counted as good manners; he needn't have bothered as suddenly Lara left the cowering hedgehog, spinning and thrusting her newspaper like a sword as she levelled it at the main perpetrator,

"And as for you…!"

Tails lost it, giggling helplessly as he watched this woman demolish three of the most fearsome Mobians he'd ever met to quivering wrecks; Knuckles froze from where he'd been trying to sidle back up the hall unnoticed, squeaked in abject terror and tried to shield his face with his paws as Lara strode to him, now positively blazing as she'd moved from her appetisers to the main course,

"You, my lad, are so low in my eyes you're about drowning", _that's low from this altitude_; Tails realised as she really unloaded, "you're going to get married and you don't even have the common decency, the respect, to come over here and tell your own mother the best news of her life. You could have gone out after that, no worries there, but oh no, you have to do it before and leave the responsibility in the hands of a child while you go and get levelled. Then, oh and then it gets ever better; have you seen the state of my garden and my hallway – and I dread to think what my water closet's going to look like once your friend's finished in there", she took a pause for a breath as Knuckles became aware of the continuing retches from the direction of further down the hall; as they registered and he shuddered out of shared pain, hangover throbbing worse than ever under this continuing barrage, "well, what have you got to say for yourself; come on, I'm dying to hear this; what can you say after this disgraceful spectacle?"

There was a pause as Knuckles glanced up, his hazy eyes looking into his mother's penetrating ones as, under the circumstances of vast amounts of pain, general queasiness and a vague sense of having done something extremely stupid, he gave the only answer his befuddled brain could come up with,

"Ow?"

XXX

_Oooh, not good_; Tails cringed and looked away as all sound in the place died away – even the gurgles from the toilet melted into the background as Lara-Le inhaled all the air in the room, swelling like a bullfrog with static electricity crackling in her hair. Without a second thought, she sprang forwards and began belabouring her son with swipes from her free hand and rolled up newspaper,

"OW! I'll give you ow, and then some; take that, and that!"

"Ahh", Knuckles tried to block her strikes but couldn't due to the fact he was feeling like a mess and her rage was making her so much stronger than normal, "oww, 'elp, geteroffame!" Strangely enough there were no takers for this plea as no-one wanted to become the next punching bag for the frenzied female echidna as she ploughed on,

"You stupid, pig-headed, idiotic rake! I only hope Rouge has a sense of humour; she'll need one when you turn up on the doorstep like death warmed up. How you managed to find a girl like that's beyond me if you go and pull stunts like this. Oh Knuckles", Tails looked around as the whacking noises stopped and saw the guardian had been caught in a hug that looked only marginally less painful than the beating he'd been receiving, "you mess her around and I swear I'll hunt you down; for the love of the Master look after her". Out of instinct more than anything else, Knuckles gently put his hands on his mother's shoulders and held her in kind, making an observation after a couple of minutes,

"You mean I've got permission?"

"Of course you've got my blessing you prat", Lara disengaged and cuffed him again, smiling genuinely this time as he shuffled his feet, "she's the one for you isn't she?" The other echidna managed to half-smile,

"You bet she is".

"Coffee", everyone looked around as Shadow crawled into the kitchen doorway on his hands and knees; out of everyone here he looked by far the worst. His normally well-sheened quills were straggly and his eyes were half-shut with sleep as he crawled to Lara-Le and attempted to hug her round the knees; she leapt back as he looked up pleadingly,

"Coffee, please!" With a great deal of dignity, she spoke again, organising the unruly mob,

"Right, you four, get something to eat, something non-alcoholic to drink and for the love of heaven get yourselves presentable. It is now half-past ten; believe me when I say if I'm not hugging my future daughter-in-law by midday today", she tapped her newspaper into her open palm, The Look back in its normal spot as she growled threateningly, "you'll all wish you'd never been born with backsides. Now get moving!"

"Well, that's one way to clear a kitchen", Tails commented dryly as the last hint of Shadow's tail vanished around the door; Lara sighed as she sat down and massaged her temples,

"Those guardians will be the death of me; if it's not Athair driving me up the wall it's Sojourner's attitude, if it's not that it's Thunderhawk pulling something dumb like this", in exasperation she raised her mug of coffee, "roll on tomorrow, and may it be less mad than today".

"I'll drink to that"; two mugs clinked together as there was a muffled shout from the hallway,

"Don't mention drinking, ever again". Fox and echidna shared a look, smiled and cracked up together helplessly.

A/N: And they think their troubles are over? Not by a long shot if a certain black-furred guardian has anything to do with it!


	5. Chapter 5 Changing With the Times

Chapter 5 – Changing With the Times.

A/N: I can only say sorry for the lateness; lots of things happening in life and not a lot of time to do fics in, but I'm still trying. Reviewers as always come first,

HHH – Hamster chao? Okay, I bet she's really cute; hope you have fun raising her!

? – Was leaving no name deliberate; it certainly added to your mystique! Anyway, yes, at noon, Spectre! Read on, I hope it's something like you expected.

TH – (Author has fingers in ears as an ear-splitting scream echoes though the fic for minutes; when it ends, author takes fingers out of ears, looks at TH and smiles shakily). TH, did it not occur to you that, when you put Amy's clothes on Spectre, you forgot to put any clothes back on Amy? Half of my cast are now deaf due to that scream and the rest of them are dying of nosebleeds, and we're barely a third of the way through this fic as it is! Help me someone.

Compared to the jubilant revellers that had rolled up the previous evening, it was a meek band of penitents that filed out of Lara's house a while later, led by a steely-eyed Lara and with Tails haranguing them mercilessly; he was safe as their still slowed reactions meant he could easily spring away from any retaliatory strikes.

"Tails", the fox looked up to see Lara waving a finger at him, "stop giving them a hard time now". His face fell and he could almost feel the relief; _but this is my big chance – they'll murder me when they're better anyway, so I might as well go the whole hog_.

"But…" She saw her smile,

"If I remember rightly, you've got the car – you can torment them then". There were immediate cries of protest as he gave a sudden victory pose and twirled the Tornado's keys around his finger,

"Oh yes, and I've needed to give it a tumble test for a while now".

"No", Shadow moaned loudest of all, stomach still feeling like its contents were performing mushy back-flips and other gymnastics, "please, kill me now". Tails checked his watch and gave a false start of surprise,

"Oh would you look at that; it's twenty to twelve and we've got a twenty-five minute drive at least; I'll have to up the speed, or we could fly". Knuckles looked on the verge of tears as he hugged his gut; Tails felt his heart strings tug and had to relent, just a little bit, as the Tornado hove into view, "unless you fancy extending the time limit?"

"Looks like I'll have to; I'm not good with cars anyway"; there was a collective exhalation as Tails unlocked the car and everyone made to crawl inside; Lara reacted right away, "oi, I'm in the front, you lot can sit on each other in the back – I don't care how, just do it". Arguments were flattened with a quick flash of The Look and pretty soon everyone was belted up and ready to go. Tails clipped his belt in and as he did caught a look in the rear view mirror where the two hedgehogs were now sat on top of the heavier echidnas; he saw Shadow's face and was reminded of something,

"Anyone spews up back there and all of you will be licking it off with your tongues, got it?"

"Yeah"; Knuckles wound down his window and directed Shadow's head at it, just in case, as Tails gunned the engine and took off for Haven.

XXX

She twitched her ears again, standing like a sentinel atop the hill at the entrance to Haven, Locke by her side as she waited for her fiancé to return. Spectre had pointed out what had happened the previous evening and she'd watched on with interest as all the other guardians quickly hid smirks and collectively winced; memories, Locke had explained on the way up to the surface, of their own wild nights with their older relative when they'd been lucky enough to find their perfect partners. A smile broke across the bat's face as this sank in; she really couldn't imagine the stern, unyielding guardian she was so familiar with ever conceiving of going out and getting absolutely blasted; _which'll make it so much funnier if he actually has_. She ran her tongue along her teeth again, remembering just how much havoc ultrasound could play on a migraine and looking forwards to testing it on her possibly inebriated partner as, with a thrill of apprehension, she heard the distinctive thrum of an engine approaching.

"Over there", Locke pointed with his white glove, his lab coat flickering with the breeze as Rouge saw the faint sunlight dance and shimmer across the bodywork of the Tornado; at this distance it was impossible to tell but Spectre had said that Lara-Le would be coming to Haven with the returning revellers – this was one of those moments she was looking forwards to and dreading in equal measure. _How can she react to this news – I'm going to take her little boy away from her, and she barely knows who I am_; the bat felt nervous, and she had every right to be as several unpleasant scenarios, however unlikely, sniped at her mind to unsettle her. As the Tornado closed in, these fears came forwards more and more; all her cool was focussed on not panicking and facing up to see this final obstacle for claiming Knuckles as her bridegroom.

XXX

The car came to a gentle halt; before the motion was killed completely Lara had thrown off her seatbelt and opened her door; she'd seen the bat standing with her former husband at the crest of the hill and needed to get there now. Her feet touched the floor and she was gone, racing upwards towards them, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on Rouge's face as she knew that this time she wouldn't stumble and fatigue would not trouble her. The bat looked a little unsettled, rather like she had at the time of their first meeting only this time Knuckles wasn't there to support her. _This is just you and me Rouge_; the echidna scrambled up the last few feet and stood tall, flipping her hair out of her eyes as the wind tried to raise it and obscure her vision.

For a second, bat and echidna locked eyes and then, in silence, Lara moved forwards; it took every scrap of courage she had, but Rouge did not flinch or look away, not breaking her gaze as the echidna woman came to a halt bare inches from her. For a second, there was only silence and stillness, then with a sudden smile, Lara threw herself forwards, fastening her arms right around Rouge's chest; caught by surprise, she could only stand still as the echidna took the lead,

"I knew you were the one", the voice was muffled, though it became clearer as she rolled her face upwards, tears sheening her eyes as she tightened her hold, "first time I saw you two together, I knew".

In that single instant, Rouge felt all the tension and doubt lifted from her mind, taken off her by this isolated blessing. With a sigh, she collapsed forwards, clenching her arms around the slightly shorter echidna lady's shoulder as she whispered back,

"Thank you Lara; I swear he's the only one for me".

"Good" was the first word she received back, followed by surely the crowning glory, the last piece she needed to complete this perfect puzzle, "I'm going to love you as a daughter-in-law". _That's it then_; a massive grin split her face as the realisation sank in, suffusing her soul with a golden, glorious glow; _I'm really part of a family now, and a larger one than I could ever have dreamed of_. Her eyes opened once more and, with a smile, she began to straighten up, sliding Lara from her arms as she saw her next target; the one who had introduced her to this uniquely manic family was approaching, and just from the look of him she could tell Spectre must have been at least half-right.

"Hey Knuxie", the guardian flinched, his residual headache still not fully gone as he raised his eyes in time to see Rouge sprinting towards him, grin in full flow and, he internally braced himself, completely evil to boot, "have a good night?" She skidded to a stop in front of him and took a single look; from there on in she was a lost cause.

"Hahaha; you got wasted", she giggled and pointed at him with the finger of mockery; all Knuckles could do in return was hold his still pounding head in his hands and stand up to her barrage of flak, "so much for the I-never-let-anything-get-in-the-way-of-my-sacred-duty-routine; Knuckles beaten by drinking something harder than he is". He smiled, about the only expression his aching face could force itself to adopt, and swept his arm backwards to where Thunderhawk was leading Sonic and Shadow towards them. Just by the fact the two hedgehogs hadn't raced ahead of the others she could tell something was amiss,

"Oh you've got to be kidding", she looked at Knuckles with a laugh on the brink of her lips, "them too?"

XXX

Sonic had to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other in a walk; due to his naturally lighter build and smaller ratio of muscle to bodyweight than either of the two echidnas, he was suffering even worse effects as a result of an alcoholic overdose. Shadow was in the same dire straights and together the two made a miserable pair as they trudged towards the relative safety of Haven. They didn't talk and in return were extremely grateful when no-one else bothered to talk to them, until of course,

"Sonic!" _Oh please for the love of the lord no_; dimly recollecting the events of a few weeks previously, the hedgehog knew right now he was in serious trouble. He was forced to make the best of a really bad situation,

"Hey Rouge" he managed to slur, ears throbbing under the effect of the sound as he lurched upright, seeing the bat land in front of him, smiling in a way he had come to recognise as dangerous.

"My, my, my, you look a little worse for wear", she casually looked him up and down, shaking her head as she walked forwards slightly, "and that's saying something as you don't wear much anyway".

"Ha ha, you're cracking me up", he said bleakly as Shadow stopped in his tracks and massaged his forehead; Sonic seized on this and pointed, appealing to sympathy, "come on, we're both suffering here; cut us some slack". Rouge laughed,

"Cut some slack to the ultimate slackers, can't be done, but tell you what; I'll go easy for the rest of the day if you admit you cheated in that snowball contest"; Sonic was about to fire up to that but something grabbed his arm; looking around he saw Shadow glaring all kinds of promises of pain at him should he give Rouge any kind of ammunition. _She got me this time_; the blue hedgehog girded his loins and stood tall, looking at the bat directly as she stood tapping her fingers on the side of her arm,

"Okay", he gritted his teeth, "I cheated when I beat you in our duel".

"Say you're sorry".

"I'm sorry"; _but not as sorry as I'm going to make you batgirl_.

"Say you'll never do it again".

"I'll never do it again", he was so sorely tempted to add 'not' under his breath but remembered the bat's legendary hearing in the nick of time. Rouge smiled and posed victoriously, leering down to his level as he glowered back at her,

"Oh well, don't feel too bad hedge-head; some inferior types always have to resort to underhand methods to beat the best…"

"And some of them don't", all heads turned as the embattled blue blur had support from an unexpected quarter; Thunderhawk strode up to the group and shooed the bat away, "leave them alone for now, they kept up with me all night and I imagine that was the first proper drink either of them have ever had. Go annoy Knuckles or something; leave these two alone". There was a rush of gratitude towards the sixth-father as the bat inexplicably smiled at him,

"Good to see you up and about Hawk; you recovered well I see".

"Hollow legs", the lavender echidna assured her proudly, "never been bested by a grandson yet; their mothers on the other hand", he looked up guiltily to where Lara was stood waiting for them with Knuckles and Tails, who was handing the keys to the Tornado to Locke, "well there's a different kettle of fish".

"Oh, one of those moments"; Rouge saw his nod and turned away, spreading her wings in time to both catch the wind to the cave mouth and hide her smile; _one behind you, another to look forwards to unless I miss my guess!_

XXX

They all hustled into the hidden entrance to the guardian's base of operations, Thunderhawk depressing the switch to send the lift rattling down into the darkness; Sonic and Shadow were covering their ears again by this point. As the ride down wore on, Rouge bent to whisper unseen in Lara's ear; the echidna lady's face screwed up and she whispered back, chuckling quietly as Rouge nodded and indicated the silent sixth-father. Holding up a forestalling hand, Lara straightened and moved slightly closer to Thunderhawk,

"I must say, despite myself I'm impressed".

"Huh? What about?"

"Well", Lara put her chin on her fist to stop her smile escaping and ruining the act as she built up to it, "the fact you're not suffering now makes me think you're a bit tougher than your drinking partners".

"Experience", he said non-commitally, though he couldn't resist adding at the end, "though I suppose I'm a bit tougher than they are naturally".

"I suppose you must be", Lara answered, sighing as she helped him dig his own hole, "the way you stood up to me this morning; I was half-expecting you to break down and cry". As she'd hoped, his pride took over from there,

"Me", he puffed out his chest impressively, not realising the fact that the lift had stopped or that his voice had risen in the silence, "not meaning to sound disrespectful, but had I not been under the influence of alcohol, you'd not have even given me a mild case of the jitters; I don't feel fear; there's not been a single opponent I haven't been able to face down".

"Is that so?" Lara had the great pleasure and satisfaction of seeing the boastful echidna's face drop right through the floor as that voice purred from the entrance; swallowing audibly and turning a delicate shade of lime green, Thunderhawk broke out in a cold sweat as he turned to face the one echidna who made his last boast completely void.

"Ah, hi dad".

XXX

Black wisps of smoke curled upwards from the hem of Spectre's robes as his crimson eyes blazed in the dimly lit corridor, the rest of the Brotherhood save Locke peeking around the corner to see what would happen next. Uncomfortably aware of the fact he had nowhere to run now, bottlenecked as he was in the lift, the lavender echidna could only watch, helpless and with freezing sweat rolling down the length of his snout as this demon incarnate pounded measuredly down the hallway towards him, bale fire reflecting from the steel helmet that protected his head. Everyone else present flattened themselves against the lift wall as he singled out his target, steam almost visible as he breathed and the ground trembling beneath his paws,

"Ah, father I, er, I know I made a mistake, I can make it up, I'll do anything", Thunderhawk babbled, desperate as he knew better than anyone what Spectre in a really, really bad mood could mean for him. He sensed Lara's eyes on his back as the ebony echidna ducked his head into the lift, his maleficent presence seeming to swell and engulf to whole of the interior. Thunderhawk went white, silently prayer to the Master to preserve him as those hideous red eyes locked onto him and a growl, bone-chillingly terrifying, rent the air,

"Son", there was a sudden sigh, a sigh that seemed to contain wistful annoyance of all things; as the seconds ticked by he couldn't help it – Thunderhawk peeked open one eye, to see Spectre, not some devil in mortal flesh, stood in front of him, an air of mild annoyance rather than raging bloodlust surrounding him as he sighed and spoke, "why did you do that?"

"Do", he was stunned almost into speechlessness; he'd been forgiven after hoodwinking his father like that? "Do what?" To increase the ludicrousness further still, Spectre chuckled and pointed,

"Drag my seventh-son and his close friends, one of them being under-age of course, through probably the vast majority of taverns in Echidnopolis…"

"Well, I…"

"…fully aware that Lara-Le had still to be informed of her son's engagement to the charming Rouge…" the bat herself smiled at this high praise as Thunderhawk floundered for words; in the face of this calm explanation, he was having trouble remembering the reason behind his decision for the evening's entertainment as Spectre carried on,

"…with the full knowledge that most if not all of the proprietors of said establishments, to say nothing of their normal patrons, would doubtless question just what these unusual creatures you were bringing with you were…"

"Oh, I never, er…"

"…or that, in being together with Knuckles and both thoroughly sozzled, you could have easily let slip the very existence of the Brotherhood itself".

"Ah, now that was, er", the truth caught up with the lavender echidna at last and he hung his head in shame; _what the hell was I thinking?_ He brought his now-red face up to meet his father's eyes and muttered the truth,

"I've been a bit of a prat haven't I?"

The black echidna nodded and reached over gently to pat his son on the shoulder, still speaking calmly, though the more observant and less hung-over of the lift party might have noticed his smile become a little more wooden at this point,

"Oh yes, you have been a prat of the highest degree, but the important thing is that you accept your mistakes and above all, you learn from them. I take it you will learn from this, won't you Thunderhawk?"

"Yes father I will", the lavender son managed a smile as he looked up once more, "thank you father, I really have learned something now; thank you for not being angry with me".

"Angry", Spectre laughed again, still patting the soft fur on his son's shoulder, "Thunderhawk, I thought you'd know me better than that by now; I'm not angry". With that he sprang the trap he'd spent all morning working on; Locke winced as he grabbed and yanked the shoulder, his gifts called on to their fullest extent. Caught completely off-guard, Thunderhawk was dragged forwards right into the trap as the eldest guardian steamed up again and bellowed,

"I'm bloody furious!"

Even Sonic and Shadow, once they'd stopped wincing from the magnified shout, had to pity Thunderhawk's predicament; Spectre had dragged him down in the manner of a wolf attacking a deer and now had him in a crushing headlock. As the younger echidna bucked and tried to free himself, his father raised his voice again, seemingly quoting an ancient passage,

"After acceptance of guilt comes punishment; someone find me a decent paddle", he tightened his grip further still at a muffled cry of alarm from his captive, "or failing that a decent slipper!" Everyone watching either cringed or wailed with laughter as, after a few seconds, Athair drifted forwards, seemingly in his own little world as he offered a sandal with his own now-bare foot wriggling its toes in the breeze,

"Here you are ancient one", the flying echidna said dreamily as he approached, Spectre looking up wolfishly, "why do you need it though; from here it looks like you have two of your own; is one of them broken? Oh, oh, can I repair it for you?"

"Hell no way"; realising he wasn't going to break the stranglehold and increasingly desperate as the object of his extreme agony approached, Thunderhawk tried a different tactic. Reaching down, he grabbed both his father's legs behind the knees and heaved upwards, tearing Spectre off the floor entirely and supporting his bodyweight in his arms and from his neck. With that in mind, he broke into a lumbering run, seeking to dislodge his parasite with the jarring motions – it was perhaps unfortunately that he had only one way to run and that involved going under Athair. Snarling in triumph, Spectre reached up and snagged the offered sandal from the suddenly bewildered third-father, waving it like a sword as the Brotherhood scattered out the way of the oncoming pair.

"You can't run forever boy!"

"I'm going to bleeding well try", came the panicked response, swiftly followed by the announcement of, "where am I going; you're robes are over my eyes, I can't see".

"Hard left", the voices of the squabbling echidnas became more distant as Thunderhawk's frantic pace put some distance between the lift and themselves, "you're only making this worse for yourself".

"It can't get any worse"; the words died to nothing and the resulting silence was broken only by Sojourner, now in charge as the eldest, slapping a hand over his face as he realised what a spectacle that one had been; _and this time we can't even blame it on Athair_.

"Welcome all", he said, trying to brazen it out, "follow us, you're just in time for lunch; Sonic, Amy would like to see you as she's walking fairly comfortably now, Tails Cream needs to get going fairly soon and Lara", the female echidna looked up at the mention of her name; Sojourner nodded to her in deference, "welcome back to Haven; may your stay be fruitful". She smiled and nodded back,

"My son is going to be married and the idiot who tried to stop him telling me this earlier is probably wishing he hadn't woken up this morning; it can only get better from here".

XXX

"You had a party, and I wasn't invited", Vector turned his shoulder as Knuckles slumped into a seat beside him, his voice one of disgust, "I'm mortally offended red".

"Don't be; I probably just saved half your liver", the echidna answered back sullenly as he reached for whatever was nearest him and a glass of cold water, "and most of your brain".

"Nothing in there worth saving", Charmy commented from the other side of the crocodile, whipping his head down in time to avoid anything more than ruffled antennae as Vector aimed a swat at him and Knuckles decided to change track,

"Anything happen here last night?"

"Not too much compared to what you must have gone through", the crocodile joked as the echidna levelled a baleful, mourning gaze at him, "but there were a few plans thrown around; the girls were mostly in the hospital wing with Amy talkin' about girly stuff, dresses and the like and I didn't see much of the Brotherhood, bar Athair".

"What was…?"

"You don't want to know", Vector cut him off instantly before pivoting and clapping his hand over Charmy's mouth, "don't tell him buzz-boy, it's better he doesn't know got it?" There was a heavily muffled noise, followed by a thumbs-up and the head of the Chaotix released his hold, allowing Charmy to take a deep, theatrical breath and gasp deeply. As he did, Knuckles cast a glance around the rest of the table; Spectre and Thunderhawk were still absent; _Spectre wouldn't really…nah, no way_; Sonic and Shadow had their own little huddle well over in one corner, away from the noise as they sipped water, though Sonic was getting the occasional prod from Amy, drawing him into the rest of the conversation she was having with Cream and Rouge, though it looked as though his mother had just joined in as well.

As the guardian watched on, this conversation seemed to get more frenetic and a spread slowly over the table, like water landing on stone. First it flowed over to embrace the two hung-over hedgehogs, though admittedly they had little part in it, then it seemed to touch the closest member of the Brotherhood, who happened to be Sabre. When this contact was made, it was as though the surgeon were a smouldering coal, and the words in the air were a stream of lighter fluid,

"WHAT!" Knuckles gritted his teeth and screwed up his face against the pain; when he looked again it was as though verbal warfare had broken out, mostly girls against boys with hedgehogs and Tails making a mostly neutral third party. Before his befuddled eyes, the tempo increased still further; he caught snatches of conversation but no more; he was still in too much of a state to sort out the general gist of the argument. The voices involved in this no-holds-barred war were rising and it was only a matter of time before even he'd be able to make something of this hubbub, until it was stilled, a temporary ceasefire called, as a single whistled note pierced the whispers, loud and strident. All heads turned as Spectre, looking extremely pleased with himself and whistling cheerfully, emerged from the nearest tunnel and headed for lunch.

If he was even aware of the funny looks that were being sent his way, or the new outbreak of whispering that preceded him now, he took no notice; still with a self-satisfied grin on his face, Spectre used his power casually to pull out a chair, heading for it with more of a spring in his step than any at the table could remember being there before. He twirled something around his right hand before breaking off the tune he was whistling to shout,

"Catch" and throw something at the table. Athair jetted up from his seat in time to gather the object thrown; all eyes turned to him as he examined his returned sandal incredulously; half the sole appeared to be missing.

"What did you do to this poor, innocent sandal ancient one? What did it ever do to you?"

"You'll see what I did with it later Athair", the black echidna chortled as he took his seat, tucking himself in tight to the polished rim of the Brotherhood's main table before looking owlishly at the group that had been having most of the conversation up to this point,

"And what were you all discussing so heatedly before I came in; I heard you half of Haven away". Several glances were shifted and murmurs raced around the table; Knuckles half-expected this to get on his seventh-father's nerves, but no, he seemed happy to sit patiently and listen. Eventually, with exceeding ill-grace and a look of acute embarrassment on his face, his own father was nominated as spokesMobian,

"Ah, sixth-father", Locke started, insides squirming as he tried to imagine the black guardian's reaction to this, "Rouge was, er, merely explaining to us a, ah, a custom from the lands below. Apparently, she wishes to take Knuckles with her on something called a honeymoon following their wedding".

"I see", Spectre spoke with interest, "and what is a honeymoon?" Locke gulped before steeling himself up to answer,

"Well, it involves, that is to say, it's something of a holiday newly-weds are entitled to following the wedding ceremony". Spectre sat back, tapping his fingertips together as he shook his head, his uniquely logical mind letting him see the problems before anyone else could point them out,

"Right, I can see the logic of the problem here; Rouge, you want to take my seventh-son on a holiday following you wedding", the bat nodded, challenge in her eye as the eldest echidna rolled his eyes over to his sons, "but, as a consequence, this means the guardian will be absent from Angel Island and the Master unguarded".

"One of you lot could do it", Lara cut in, pointing at Locke especially as her ex-husband looked away, slightly embarrassed, "Locke told me one of you baby-sat the rock while he found himself a partner in Echidnopolis".

"That relinquishment of guardianship is required to continue the guardian bloodline", Sabre countered, more confusion and worry in his tone than outright denial; he was merely stating a fact as he answered the female echidna, "however, there's nothing in the code to cover any kind of relinquishment following the marriage, only those before it". A low chuckle broke the stare-down that followed, Spectre seeming to find something amusing,

"It appears to me you've done everything backwards seventh-son", it took Knuckles a few seconds to realise Spectre meant him; "you found your bride before your father should have taken the guardianship in your stead and now want to take a holiday after your marriage". _I suppose he's right_; the younger echidna smiled and nodded, before realising this still left him with a nasty little poser of a problem,

"So, what happens now?"

"You could let us do it".

There was an abrupt silence, broken only by the sound of several bottoms swivelling around in chairs; Charmy smiled sheepishly as he tried desperately to think of something really, really clever to say in the face of so much expectation.

XXX

"Well, what I meant to say was", he began almost skittishly, words sticking in his throat as he tried to remember the reason he had behind making that announcement, "we could do it; we could look after the emerald while your gone", he indicated Vector and Espio before his eyes settled on Spectre and a sudden idea seized him and saved his bacon, "I mean, you've looked at all of us and we're all safe with the jewel, so you know we're not going to try and steal it. Besides, isn't there some kind of protection around the M.E. now? What happens if, at some point in the future, Knuckles needs help at the shrine – he can't call that Echidna Secure Division, they'd never find the place". Suddenly sensing an opportunity he'd not felt in months, Vector reacted quickly; clearing his throat and half-standing, the crocodile put his hand on the bee's shoulder and added his two cent's worth,

"He's right as well, and, not dissin' you or anythin' red, but you might need help with the Dark Legion back", he paused for a few seconds, letting that sink in; with a glimmer of hope he saw Lara whispering frantically to Sabre, the elder echidna trying to still her questions for now, "besides that, we're three of the only eight people who know it exists at all, so it'd pay you to keep us close, make sure we can't go shootin' our mouths off".

"Is that blackmail?" Sojourner piped up, eyes slitted, the crocodile shook his head and smiled to show he wasn't dangerous,

"Nah, not at all, but as we've all just seen, some people can do silly things if they drink a bit too much" he gestured to his left and Knuckles sank lower in his seat as all gazes shifted to him. Standing tall, Vector addressed Spectre directly, meeting his crimson eyes dead on,

"So, what do you think?"

_Come on, this is the best chance we've had in years; we need something to get us off the ground_; Vector was straining every sinew to keep his face straight as hope and fear of disappointment warred within him. A lot was hinging on the black echidna's next words and the crocodile felt his nerves tauten even further as Spectre pursed his lips,

"An interesting idea", there were universal gasps of astonishment from the Brotherhood as Spectre turned the idea over and over in his mind, "however, the code of the guardians…" He was cut off by the voice from nowhere,

"Says nothing about us", Espio materialised from nothingness, provoking a gasp of shock from Lara as the chameleon leaned forwards, his voice sombre, "we don't want to replace the guardian, merely assist him. When Knuckles comes back from his honeymoon, we will still be here assisting him. Therefore, we are not guardians proper and, by that logic, the code doesn't cover us; exceptions can be made".

"Assistant guardians", Athair was backstroking lazily around the ceiling, flipping over he looked down at the Chaotix and smiled, "that's a good idea; third-son should have help now he's got more work than we had. We can get uniforms as well; I think they should be red and have a little badge with…"

"Thank you Athair", Spectre stopped the madness quickly as he knew how quickly it could take root; as the hyper guardian fell silent, he eyed the Chaotix again, seeing the surprisingly alert crocodile, the sombre and silent form of the chameleon and the warm-hearted bee. He stroked his chin a little before giving a little 'hmm' and standing up, spreading his arms wide as if embracing the room and addressing them all, though his sons took particular note as he spoke,

"Since the time of Edmund, our code has endured and successfully protected the Master emerald; the guardians have stood firm while our people were lost. However, we are alone no more and the times we have emerged in are interesting times, turbulent times. The advances of the world below, as well as the resurgence of our old Dark Legion foes, have created many new threats for the Master, for ourselves and for Angel Island as a whole; therefore, I do not honestly think that our code can ensure the Master is sufficiently guarded as it stands now".

There was another gasp of shock from the rest of the Brotherhood; _and I can understand why_; Vector thought with a sigh. Spectre was basically admitting that their entire system of belief, which had been indoctrinated into them since they were under five years old, had suddenly been found lacking by circumstances beyond their control and that because of this it had to change. It was a radical and brave thing to say, and keep saying as he continued,

"So I offer this compromise", the black echidna smiled chillingly at his seventh-son and Rouge, "it will take a little time for the ceremony to be prepared, so I suggest you, and you as well if you consent to Rouge, begin training these Chaotix in your duties; show them what must be done. It will be hard and tough on all of you, but brave it out; how long should this honeymoon last Rouge?" _Well, a little white lie never hurt anyone…_

"Say", the bat made a bit of a show of trying to tot something up in her head, "about two months, maybe three". If Spectre saw the quickly averted incredulous looks he gave no sign, merely pointing at the three Mobians of the Chaotix,

"That will be your test; you will guard the Master in the time my seventh-son and his bride are gone. If no calamities happen, we will know this experiment has been a success", he glanced around to where some of the Brotherhood, Sojourner in particular, were looking mutinous, "we must bend with the times, or be broken by them; it's the simple truth". With that, Spectre clapped his hands and gestured to where the food was starting to go cold,

"Come now, let's eat before we plan too far ahead; plans for the wedding, matters of living quarters and transport an wait, as can pay scales", the black guardian hid a smile as Vector looked amazed; as he looked up, however, that smile grew to unhideable dimensions as he spied something approaching, "ah, son; come and join us".

"No thanks"; for a second no-one could believe it was actually Thunderhawk speaking; the voice was so high-pitched and high with pain, but there was no doubt. The lavender echidna was tottering on tip-toe, apparently trying to walk from the knees down as he shuffled to face the throng, grinning painfully. Spectre looked concerned, hiding his true motive and, incidentally, the last part of his son's punishment, until he was ready; _I know you Thunderhawk, pain you'll heal from, but it's your ego you can't take being bruised_.

"But you must eat Hawk; you need your strength".

"No, really father, I'm fine" the sixth-father managed to speak shrilly, not liking where this was going; all he wanted to do now was slink off to his room and hide until the pain went away.

"But I insist", Spectre gave a mental tug as his malevolent grin widened still further, "have a seat!" Thunderhawk had just long enough to glance behind him before the chair Spectre had cunningly manoeuvred into position caught him behind the knees and knocked him backwards, his already battered rump slamming down on the hard wood.

The only things that lasted longer than the echoing scream of agony were the helpless giggles that followed it as everyone fell into tatters of laughter at the sixth-father's plight, tears streaming from his eyes as he was brought forwards to the table under the juddering ministrations of his hysterical father's mental powers.

XXX

She knew it was coming and tried to stop it; a hopeless battle,

"Hehehe", Cream snickered from her co-pilot seat in the Tornado, giggling again as Tails turned to look at her with a long suffering expression,

"Come on, it wasn't that funny", his own smile germinated and grew as the rabbit nodded that it was; the bout of giggles overcame his resistance as the vision of Thunderhawk squealing like a stuck pig stood out in Technicolor once more and he cracked up as well, "well, okay, it was; hahaha".

"Mean Mr Spectre", Cream managed to gasp, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her glove as she relived the moment over and over again, "that was cruel".

"You, you hahahave to be crhohohuel to be kind", Tails spluttered before trying to sober himself up a little, "and he did have a point; you didn't see Sonic and the others when they rolled in last night".

"Just as well, what I heard was bad enough", the rabbit said before pointing out the front of the cockpit excitedly, "oh look, Mystic Ruins, nearly home". Checking the time and fuel gauge, Tails nodded and licked his lips,

"Right you are, that's home; listen Cream, buckle in tight, I've got an idea". A little perturbed by this, knowing full well what a Tails idea might lead to, the rabbit tightened her seatbelt and held onto the chair as Tails made his approach, slowing his vehicle down as the airstrip hove in to view. Concentrating hard, picturing the precise second he needed to do this, the fox whispered words under his breath not even Cream's sensitive hearing could make out. As the front wheel hit the tarmac of the runway, Tails shouted,

"Roll out!" and hit a button on the control panel; a button with the silhouette of a jeep-like vehicle on the top of it. The rabbit shut her eyes and trembled a little as grinding noises filled the cockpit; _he's going straight to jeep mode from flight!_ She screwed her face up, fully expecting to crash and burn at any minute as the sounds quietened; _any second now, this is it…_

"Hey Cream", a hand shook her arm, "you can look now; it's all cool". Peeking open a single eye, the rabbit took in the scene; _praise the Lord, I'm safe_. As she sighed with relief, she suddenly slapped the fox on the shoulder,

"Ow, what was…?"

"You Muppet", the rabbit exclaimed crossly, anger spiking from her at the thought of him scaring her like that, "what would have happened if your idea had been wrong, we'd have been jam on the road. Honestly".

"Hey come on", Tails rubbed his sore spot, though the fact she had hit him hurt more than the actual hit, "I was just trying something out; it worked didn't it?"

"I guess" was all the reply he relieved, though he distinctly though he heard his passenger mutter 'boys' under her breath before looking at him once more, "now, if you're quite through scaring me half to death, perhaps we can go and see Big now?"

"Ok, ok geez", the fox shifted into third, shaking his head as the duo took a detour from Vanilla's home; at Amy's request, they were going to see the large cat and tell him the news.

"Big", Cream shouted from the air, hovering as she tried to see where he was from her elevated point; so far she wasn't having much luck, neither by the looks of things was Tails. The fox was on the floor, the pair alternating between aerial duties to avoid early exhaustion as they scouted the swamps for their larger friend. Putting her fingers in her mouth the way her mother had taught her, the rabbit whistled a high, piercing note, listening for any response; for a second disappointment hovered, then with a dull shout, an answer arrived,

"Hullo?"

_Strange_; Cream thought as she dashed through the undergrowth to find the source of the call; _he doesn't sound very happy_. The rabbit homed in on the noise like a missile; she hadn't seen the cat for ages now and she had so much to tell him, she was simply bursting to let him know the good news. As she skirted past a spiked thorn bush, she saw something move out the corner of her eye; before she could react to it, however, something had caught her in a grip like a vice and hoisted her off the floor,

"Cream", deafness threatened in one ear as the boom concussed her eardrum; the rabbit shook her head dazed as the whatever-it-was that had her swung her around gently, "you, you're all right; I, I'm so glad". Finally overcoming her shock and surprise, Cream managed to get a good look at the Mobian who held her; it was then that she let out her own gasp of panic.

Big didn't just sound unhappy, he looked it as well – everything about his suggested dejection and despair. His normally sleek coat was matted with mud and burrs, his eyes were bloodshot and it looked as though he'd been crying recently, dried tears still in his facial fur.

"Big, what's wrong?" Cream was desperate to unravel the mystery of her large friend's unhappiness; _this isn't right, he's supposed to be happy and glad to see us, not torn up like this_. As an answer, she suddenly found herself thrust out to arms-length, Big's hazel eyes boring into hers as he growled,

"What happened, Amy, where is she?"

"She's fine", Tails' voice cut in from behind the cat; from over Big's shoulder, Cream could see the fox looking almost as worried as she felt, but then, with those words, the situation had changed. Big slumped down, releasing his hold on his smaller friend and letting her go softly onto the floor; she scrambled over to Tails, unsure of herself in these strange circumstances as the cat spoke again, voice much softer now,

"She's, she's not hurt?"

"No, she's going to be completely fine" Tails assured him, ears suddenly erect as he realised what must have been eating the cat so badly. _Of course_; he suddenly cursed himself for having fun and enjoying the party while all the time Big had stewed down here in worry and self-doubt, not sure what he'd done; _where else could she have got the yellow emerald from in the first place?_ He had to rectify his mistake, had to put as good a spin on this as he could to try and ease the cat's worries,

"She's going to be fine, everyone is; thanks to you and your emerald, she beat Dimitri and saved all of Angel Island. That's so different now, you'll have to go there Big, it's great, and you're going there whether you like it or not", the fox drew himself up to his full height as he made the announcement Rouge had tacked on the end of Amy's request to tell the cat she was fine now, "Knuckles and Rouge, well, you'll never guess what, but they're going to be married soon, and they want you to attend the wedding; well I say want – Amy said if you say no, she'd make what Vanilla did to your whiskers look like a grooming exercise".

For a second he was unsure if he'd succeeded as the cat still looked on the verge of tears, his lips moving to form words,

"A wedding? And, Amy's is all right?"

"That's right Big", Cream chipped in, smiling now as the news began to sink in, "and you're going to have to come, Mr Knuckles said so".

"Him and the rest" Tails added as the cat raised himself to his full height, standing as though the weight of the whole world had been lifted from his shoulders. His entire posture changed in an instant; he was full of life and vitality as he extended his hands to the two smaller Mobians, his voice once more deep and caring as he offered,

"You'll have to tell me all about it", Tails and Cream both hovered onto one brawny arm each; ensuring they were secure, the cat headed for home, chuckling, "my place is in a bit of a state at the minute, but I'll clean it in a tick. So, what happened up there then?"

"You're emerald saved us all Big", Tails began, hearing the cat chuckle; with a glance at Cream, he began the tale of Dimitri's downfall at the hands of Amy.

XXX

One week later, the technology that Tails and Locke had jointly worked on was put to it's first use; twiddling one of the knobs on the bottom of what looked like a massive widescreen television, Tails was confronted with the echidna scientist's face as the transmitter from Haven beamed the image directly to Mystic Ruins,

"Success", flushed with triumph, Tails gave a victory pose as he exclaimed, "it works, works like a charm".

"So I hear", Locke smiled as the sound was audible at his end of the two-way connection, "but listen, here's the information for you…"

A few minutes later, when the connection had been broken, the fox was on his phone to everyone he knew and everyone who connected with the business; overjoyed, Tails confirmed to his disbelieving friends the exact date, location and time of the big day. It was near enough three months away in the spring.

XXX

Three months sounds like a long time, but for most people who knew what was coming at the end of this time, it flew by; everything they did was speeded up and held a reason to be cheerful. Event he most dire, deadly form of French homework filled Cream with happiness; there were so many different words for love and marriage in so many languages.

As Amy filled out forms to try and enrol at the Station Square college, where she wanted to study for qualifications in counselling ("after all", she had explained to Sonic as he helped her wade through the myriad paperwork the institute had sent her, "I was lucky enough to have Sabre and Spectre to help me; not everyone can have that"), she felt her pen move almost of its own volition, filling in the blank spaces with no errors or specks of ink.

_Who cares if I can't remember what happened to me?_; Shadow knew it didn't matter too much as he leafed through his book of memories, smiling now as he though about what would happen shortly; _it's what's going to happen in the future that counts!_

Knuckles bounded though the bushes surround the shrine with wings on his heels, training the Chaotix hard but finding no fault with them; even when they'd had Locke in the house Spectre had somehow managed to secure for them, noisily installing a device that allowed them to travel from the house directly to the shrine in seconds, they'd not raised a peep of protest, simply dealt with the process and worked even harder, determined to prove themselves and, as Vector joked, secure that permanent pay-check.

Yes, three months seemed like nothing for these lucky Mobians, yet they were happy, so time flew. Others, it seemed, were not so fortunate; for them, time dragged, with precious little good news to speed the monotonous trudge of the time stream. In fact, it was only one stroke of lucky fortune that enabled the Dark Legion to continue towards their goal once more.

XXX

The room was silent, dark, quiet as the grave and cool; computers operated best at lower temperatures, thought that was immaterial as they were all currently off-line. All, that was, bar one; in an isolated corner of this silent tomb of the microchips, there was a furious war being waged. Technology fought technology, computer refinement pitted against innovation and hacking skill as a frustrated voice growled,

"Come on you little bugger, down damn it", fingers blurred over the keyboard, metallic spines clicking repeatedly against the metal of the desk as the threats continued, "don't you dare lock me out now, come on, I'm in, I know I…" Abruptly the screen flashed and darkened, bitter ashes filled her mouth as the shut-down clause kicked in, but no, it lit once more, the screen changing as her adversary finally yielded. _I did it_; a slow smile spread over her face as she realised she'd broken the wall at last; _I'm in, all your secrets now belong to me!_ With a triumphant hiss, Kommissar punched the air overhead, lowering her face to leer at the screen in front of her,

"Beat you, knew you'd go down eventually; go on", she span her seat round and jabbed a finger down towards her tail, "kiss it, kiss right there; I am your master and you bow to me now. Oh I doth rock…" it was at that moment, in her second of triumph, that a mechanical growl sounded out from what was now right in front of her; she froze in dread as she recognised the noise instantly – she was intimately familiar with it now. Two lights winked on in the darkness as she inclined her head, swallowed softly and greeted,

"Good evening grandf…er, grandmaster Enerjak".

The cyborg that had once been her grandfather Dimitri hovered forwards, making no noise as the hover jets on the soles of the grandmaster's new feet kept them from touching the floor; that was how he'd snuck up on her. He made the growling noise again, a sure sign he was annoyed now as the metallic shell of the Central Dogma lacked the capacity to express facial emotions. As it came, Kommissar felt nervous sweat prickling the inside of her leather clothes and her mouth went dry; this time she really was for the high-jump. _Don't look at the screen, please don't look at the screen…_

"Good evening Lien", the robotic echidna grated, voice artificially synthesised through the larynx of the Central Dogma of the Dark Legion; the final escape from death that her grandfather had taken on and become Enerjak through. She dared raise her eyes and felt her heart plummet; the red-light of Enerjak's eyes were fixed firmly over her shoulder,

"Tell me", he grated, his manhole sized hands bunching into fists as his voice rose in volume, "what are you doing to advance the cause of the Dark Legion?"

"A moment Lord and I…" _No chance;_ she knew the storm would break and prepared for it, wondering how he'd found out.

"Hacking into the central files of the world below", the android screeched, pointing at the screen once more as he started at her; she flinched under the glow of those deadly red eyes, "that will only garner suspicion; we are still weak Lien. If we were to be discovered, it could spell the end for us; we can't fight now, there had been to little progress. Most of the Legionnaires have been in suspended animation too long, combat skills have dulled and our drone production facilities are still inoperative. Your brother works night and day to restore us, yet you persist in these petty matters, ones that could spell doom for the Legion; honestly Lien-Da, you disappoint me. You are a gifted researcher and skilled with the emotional programmes we must perfect, yet you waste your talent on this pitiful", he paused, looking at the screen once more; Lien didn't dare follow his gaze in case it drew his attention back to her. With a hum and several ringing footsteps, Enerjak descended to the floor and, pushing Lien and her chair to one side, moved closer to the computer, a wire extending from his hand to interface with the machine directly. _I have got to get me one of those_; Kommissar thought enviously as images raced along the screen; she knew he was capable of processing the information several thousand times faster than she was. Eventually, the procession of flickers came to a halt and he gestured for her with one mighty paw,

"Look here Lien", she trotted forward nervously and glanced at the screen, trying to speed read the words to keep the delay as short as possible; what she read though, she had to re-read to make it sink in, "interesting isn't it?"

"This, this is incredible", the echidna woman gasped, taking in the stark message in the computerised words, "that someone could have solved our greatest problem for us; it says…"

"I know; vague emotion combined with sentience", Enerjak finished for her, seemingly hungry as he took in the image again, "we must have this information; the location is filed within me so", the screen went blank as he cut the connection and turned to face her again, fully twice as tall and three times as broad as she was; she suddenly felt totally insignificant as she awaited his judgement, impossible as it was to read him now, "you have done well Lien; this information may be vital to our cause".

She let out a breath slowly as the metallic behemoth that had once been her great grandfather turned to leave; _for a second I thought I was toast_.

"Oh Lien", she looked up to see him pause at the door, activating his hovering ability once more, "come the morning, your physical exercise will be increased by two hundred percent; that should be enough to stop these night-time excursions and subsequent lawlessness. Good evening". She looked disappointed until he left, then sighed again; _thank heaven he doesn't know about my other form of 'night-time excursion' – that really would have me in the deep stuff!_

A/N: Well, next chapter's the big one; Knucks and Rouge finally tie the knot!


	6. Chapter 6 Of Nerves and Nuptials

Chapter 6 – Of Nerves, Nuptials and Naughtiness.

A/N: This should have been up yesterday, but the monitor of my computer crashed completely and I had to zip out and buy another one this morning; I hate computers! Hope you all enjoy this ceremony.

HHH – Hello Soulio; hope you're behaving well for your owner :-). This is the one HHH, hope you enjoy it as a Knucks-fangirl!

TH – Computer trouble, how well I can sympathise!

"Will you just sit still?" Shadow asked exasperatedly for what felt like the millionth time as Sonic continued to fidget in his seat, giving the distinct impression he had a nest of ants crawling around in his seat and couldn't quite get away from them all as he shifted uncomfortably. Licking his lips, the blue hedgehog looked up nervously and offered a strained smile,

"Sorry dude, but it's tomorrow man, this is it, the big one", Shadow groaned as Sonic launched into another of these now famous rants, for some reason Sonic had become even more talkative than normal as the wedding date had come closer, seeming to channel his tension into verbal form; _and as a consequence, how many of these speeches have I put up with over the last few weeks – bloody countless!_ "what the heck am I going to do up there? I'm a bundle of nerves now, just think what's going to happen when I'm at the altar, with all those eyes…" he broke off, shuddering at the thought as Shadow snapped his newspaper shut and, having rolled it up, bopped Sonic over the head with it smartly,

"Tomorrow, you are going to be stood in front of an altar, the priest is going to ask if you have the ring, you are going to say yes and give it to him and Knuckles is going to do the rest, got it? Now for the love of Pete calm down; you're putting me off my stocks and shares". Sonic rolled his eyes and snorted,

"Scintillating read I'm sure", he made to get up, "I've gotta check my tux is pressed right". With an incoherent yell, Shadow threw down his paper and buried his head in his hands, speaking brokenly through his fingers,

"Sonic, your tuxedo is pressed and packed along with mine, the ring is safely secured in the right breast pocket and transport's well arranged. Now I mean it", he let his hands slid free and grip his paper again, as it was curled into an even tighter roll, he spoke levelly and with impressive menace, "sit still and shut up, or I swear to the good lord above when the police find your body all they'll have to go on is the newsprint covering it". Sonic eyed the way the black hedgehog's hands were twisting the thick paper, together with supplements, into a solid coil and nodded, falling quiet and picking up a nearby television magazine. For a second, Shadow knew bliss with his paper, then of course,

"Ever wonder why some people spell realise with a Z? It's always worried me that, you know; what is it with that Z, it's the same with las… er, Shadow? Put the paper down, don't do anything you'll…right, I'm off!" A second later, Sonic speeded out the door of their joint apartment with Shadow a fraction of a second behind him, swinging away with his paper and bellowing like a rogue elephant. The race was fast, frantic and most importantly long; by the time the two hedgehogs returned to their domicile, the sun had well and truly set and sleep beckoned. Despite the nerves and apprehension, tiredness from the extended chase took its toll on both hedgehogs; Sonic barely had the energy less to take a shower before he crawled into bed and was lost to the land of the living.

XXX

_This time tomorrow_; Knuckles lay awake in the room he had built with his own two hands, the wooden cabin still his as he spent his last day here as a single Mobian; _I'll be married to Rouge, and we'll be together forever_. So well he remembered that last conversation he'd managed to snatch with her before she had retired to stay at Lara-Le's until the day of the wedding, for it was ill-luck for the bride and groom to meet before the day. That single, simple minute, before all the plans had been drawn, the words of his sixth-father had echoed in his head and he could not keep them within, he had to tell her what she was letting her in for. So he had sat with her, and he had admitted that, as a guardian, it was his destiny to live a long life, that he would remain on this earth long after she had been forced to depart from it. He had asked if she could do that, if she could marry a Mobian in the full knowledge she'd never grow old with him; _and you answered batgirl – words I can never forget_; as he had for many nights these past few weeks, the guardian smiled and stroked the pillow next to him, the vision of Rouge smiling and taking his hand filling his mind as her words floated back to him:

"_That's not really a question for me is it Knuckles", he had been confused by this; she must have seen as she smiled and explained, "it's a question for you"._

_"I, ah", his ignorance shamed him, "I don't follow"._

_"Then I'll ask you", she had taken his hand, her beautiful blue eyes meeting his amethyst orbs and holding their gaze levelly as she spoke again, "Knuckles, can you love me, even when the years take away my youth, my beauty leaves me? Can you look deep inside yourself and know you'll stay with me, even when I can't run, or fly, or fight anymore? Are you strong enough to care for me even if I can't recognise you, if dementia takes my senses and memories from me? Have you got the courage to face death with me, when the time comes, and can you emerge from it whole, with memories of the good times we had? Are you man enough to do those things – it's not up to me here, this is all about you, and you're the only one who can answer yourself". There had been silence for a moment, Knuckles struck by the sheer truth of the matter, stunned so far he couldn't even register the tears sliding down his snout._

_"It was", he managed to croak, throat suddenly constricted and tight, "it was a stupid thing to ask". Without another word, the guardian embraced the love of his life and held her close, words meaningless now; he knew what his answer must be. For how long they held each other he didn't know or care, all that mattered was that they were together now, for the last time in a couple of months. Finally, with great reluctance, Rouge had slipped away, whispering Lara would be missing her soon; with last murmured farewells, the fiancés had parted, Knuckles remaining seated for a long time, a strange happy-sad feeling suffusing him, though he knew he'd made the right choice._

Well, tomorrow would be the beginning; the time when he and his partner; _wife tomorrow_; Knuckles felt the same rush of heady anticipation flood him again, the same tide that had been keeping him awake all night buoying his consciousness up once more. He tossed and turned, trying to sleep but at the same time not wanting to, knowing that every second brought that single instant closer, the unique second he knew he would be united with Rouge for all time and forever.

And several miles away, a white fruit bat tossed and turned also, thoughts similar to those of the guardian churning her mind into a fever of restlessness.

XXX

One other could not sleep also, though very different reasons were keeping Vector awake, even as the snores of the other two exhausted Chaotix filtered through the walls of their new home in Echidnopolis. As a reptile, he didn't sweat as for once he was grateful; if he could have it'd be coming off in buckets by now. _It all kicks off tomorrow or the day after_; the leader of the team of former detectives had nights like this, often before important cases were due to begin, and this was probably the biggest thing that had ever happened to him in his life. _Because if this goes well_; the crocodile thought uneasily; _we've got a job for life, but something could go so horribly…no!_ With an effort he jerked himself away from doubt and worry; he couldn't afford to think like a defeatist now. _Look on the bright side_; he whipped off the covers and looked down at what he liked to call his new body; _red's routine did a number on this – I've never been fitter and as a team we're running like clockwork, eight hours on, sixteen off, goes like a charm_.

That much was certainly true; the guardian, since the deal had been struck that day, had drilled him and his friends mercilessly; he and Rouge together had made their lives a living hell, except for Espio, who seemed to take it in his stride much the same way as he did everything else in life. Exercises, training, wilderness survival, tracking, route finding, you name it, he'd done it, but he hadn't broken; he'd come close, but he'd never thrown in the towel in anything he'd attempted and he wasn't about to start now. He thought about the pay-check, the unsaid glory and, he admitted in the quiet minutes when no-one was looking, the fact that he was going to be protecting not just a valuable jewel, but an entire race that depended on that jewel to survive. _But from tomorrow_; the same nagging fear he couldn't banish, no matter how positive his outlook;_ Knuckles isn't going to be around to help us_. That thought he couldn't shake; he lay awake for many hours and, when he did finally fall into slumber, his dreams were uneasy; all he could recall of them were a crushing hand at his windpipe, eyes of blood and three silver knifes, all set against him as he struggled for his life.

XXX

The alarm's note didn't last longer than a split-second; Sonic shut it off, was up, out of bed and had his shoes in all in the same movement; _stick with the plan – do not mess this up_; he though savagely as he wrenched open his bedroom door and shouted,

"I'm off, see you in a minute".

"Go for it; breakfast when you get back". Shadow's head peered out from his open door as the black hedgehog made to get on with his part in the proceedings. Nodding and snatching his keys from where they'd been strategically placed for ease of finding, Sonic unlocked the front door and took off, forcing himself to go to the limit as every microsecond counted on this day.

Amy had been waiting with extreme impatience at the table of her apartment; it was a lot like waiting for Tails to arrive at Christmas, only somehow even more maddening. Her knuckles were white around the cup she cradled in her hands as she stared at her clock, ticking off the seconds; therefore when a sudden hammering echoed through her door she launched herself upright, unable to release her grip on her drink and lukewarm tea went everywhere, splashing all over the table. _Oh no, that'll take ages to…_; the pounding came once more and somehow snapped the importance of this day back into focus; _oh forget it – I can get a new table and tea stains never hurt anything anyway_. Throwing her hands up at it, the pink hedgehog flew to her door, twisting the key in the lock hard and springing it open; her eyes met Sonic's and they must have communicated telepathically somehow; the blue blur rushed towards her sitting room while she dashed back into the kitchen, ripping some kitchen roll for one of her draws and mopping up the spill. Spinning, she threw it towards the bin just as Sonic reappeared in the kitchen doorway, a couple of small travelling bags under his arms,

"This everything Ames?"

"You bet; going light as we're not going to be there long" she answered, quickly hustling him out through the hallway and pausing only to lock her door before springing onto her new boyfriend's back.

"Ready?"

"Let's go!" She said by way of answer, hugging tight into Sonic's back as he raced away from her apartment block towards his own home; from there, the three of them could race to the Mystic Ruins and then to…Sonic cut off that line of thought as he gritted his teeth and fought for even more speed; there he'd met his next challenge, and he prayed he'd not be found wanting.

XXX

Cream tore her eyes away from the horizon, flicking a glance down to where Tails now stood, the fox having just loaded everything onto his unique vehicle with a little help from Big. She could see his tails swishing the air behind him rapidly, a sure sign he was agitated and nervously anticipating something; _and he's not the only one_. The rabbit sighed as she remembered the struggle she'd had to try and sleep the previous night; she had been dropped off by her mother the night before in order to make an early start – the fact she had been granted permission for that that had been a stroke of luck and no mistake.

She was sure her mother would never have let her stay over if Big hadn't said he was going to be there as well, and sure enough when Vanilla had pulled up, Big and Tails together had been on the porch waiting for her to arrive. The cat had explained that he'd needed an extra day to transport some of the bites he'd made to the fox's house on time; these delicious looking treats had spent the night in Tails' freezer and were now stored safely in a refrigerated box in the Tornado's passenger compartment. They just needed reheating and they'd be ready to eat, and speaking of eating; she patted her stomach hungrily as she realised the very light nature of the breakfast she'd eaten – the last thing she needed to do was get air-sick on the big day. She'd seen her mother off before darkness had set in; Vanilla had sorely wanted to come but her boss had refused her any more time off, so she had to settle for the next best thing; Cream with a camera.

"Don't worry mum, I'll get loads of pictures for you".

"Make sure you do", the older rabbit mock-ordered before hugging her daughter and pecking her on the cheek, "have a great time everyone, and wish Knuckles and Rouge all the best from me".

"We will" they all chorused as the orange rabbit exited and climbed into her car, waving from the window as the three friends posed victoriously, preparing for the day awaiting them tomorrow.

The memories were shattered by a gruff call from behind her, Cream spinning around to see Big pointing from the porch towards the edge of his vision; due to his height, he'd been able to see a bit further into the distance than either of his friends could,

"Over there"; without a second thought she took to the air, seeing Tails mimic her actions out the corner of her eye. Training her vision forwards, she looked up to see two comets of black and blue speeding towards where she was waiting,

"They're coming, they're nearly here!" she squealed in delight as the two blurs rushed towards her. Sure enough, a few seconds later Sonic and Shadow screeched to a joint stop in front of Tails' home, forcing the other three Mobians to shield their eyes from the plume of dust they kicked up.

"Everyone here?" Cream heard Sonic's shout and blinked her eyes open, watching the dust settle and seeing with dismay that there was still someone missing,

"Where's Rosie?"

"We just brought the bags; get them aboard and I'll go back for her"; with that the blue hedgehog span on his heel and reverted once more to blur mode, streaking away to the horizon and the city that lay beyond it. Next to where he had been, Shadow reached down and slung another bag over his shoulder Big wading forwards to help,

"I've got it" he said simply as he scooped up most of the assorted luggage with a single paw, the bags dangling easily by their straps as he hefted them effortlessly, "where do you want them put Tails?"

"Follow me; you two, mind keeping an eye open for Sonic again?" There was no opposition and the fox led the huge cat to the waiting Tornado, hurrying to secure the baggage as soon as was possible and then nip inside to give Locke the message they were on their way through the communication system they'd jointly developed.

XXX

Another cloud of dust preceded the arrival of the final two hedgehogs; Cream didn't even wait for the dirt to hit the floor again,

"Right, everyone in and buckle up; Tails is just confirming our ETA to the Brotherhood. Let's roll people". The rabbit heard several footsteps pass her and an almost silent voice mutter,

"Bossy-boots" as its owner went past. _Bloody cheek_; the rabbit felt mildly affronted by this; _I am not that bossy_; a flash of orange assailed her newly returned vision and she shouted almost without thinking,

"Tails, get locked up and come on; we're all present and correct, we're just waiting for you. Move it!" _Nah, not bossy at all – just good at organising._

XXX

Tails had pushed his trusty machine to the limit; they touched down on Angel Island in record time, it was barely half-past nine when the plane morph of the fox's mecha rolled to a stop and the landing ramp deployed,

"Okay, here's the plan", the disembodied voice crackled over the intercom, "Rouge is at Lara-Le's place getting ready and Knuckles is at Haven. We're splitting up here; all the girls are getting out and going into Echidnopolis, the rest are heading to Haven", Amy unbuckled her seatbelt and lurched to her feet before there was another burst of static,

"Oh wait, sorry nearly forgot", Tails sounded rushed and apologetic, "Shadow, Locke says Rouge wants to see you as well; you'll have to get out here too". The black hedgehog raised his eyebrows and looked around; he was met with mystified expressions all around as he slowly eased off his belt and stood up, following the now-curious Amy down the ramp. There was a bit of a biting breeze and he hugged himself before looking up to see the object of his, Amy's and Cream's transport stood before him, Locke at his side,

"Just the three of you?" Sojourner commented as Cream touched down by the side of her big sister; when the pink hedgehog nodded in answer, the echidna sighed with relief,

"That's not too bad, I should be able to manage in just one jump; any more of you and I'd end up falling asleep in church". Shadow smiled at this quip before his brain, seemingly more alert for potential potholes than he could ever remember being at any time in the past, shot a timely reminder his way,

"Wait, my tux", he pointed at the Tornado as it began to transform into the jeep variant, "how will I get dressed?"

"Leave it to me", Sojourner assured him before casting Locke a sideways glance; with a nod the younger echidna headed for the jeep, where Tails immediately threw open the passenger door for him, "now let's go; I've got a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in". He extended his hands, letting Amy take one and Shadow the other; Cream was just about small enough to slip between the former guardian and her sister and take hold of his upper arm; after a couple of seconds concentration, destination firm in his mind, Sojourner called silently on the Master for its blessing and then triggered his unique gift, vanishing with his passengers in a violent green flare.

XXX

_It's dark_; this was Shadow's first thought as his eyes strove to adjust to the gloom – he took a deep breath only to sneeze; _dusty too – where are we?_ Before he could ask though, Sojourner had answered,

"Don't move anyone and stay calm; we're in Lara's attic", he explained, letting go of his passengers and seeming to shuffle forwards, trying to feel with his feet as he kept talking, "we had to set up a point where the flare of my gift would go unnoticed and this was the best and closest spot we could find. Hold on and don't move around; last thing we need is for one of you to go through the ceiling; ah there we are". Squinting, the black hedgehog saw an indistinct shape shorten and a second later a hollow tapping echoed through the still, sultry air. The shape grew back to its original height and approached him once more as suddenly, part of the floor fell away, light streaming upwards and illuminating part of the scene. _Of course, a trapdoor – how else are you supposed to get up here_; Shadow nodded in understanding and strode forwards to peer downwards from the rim of the hole, expecting to see Lara stood at the bottom, maybe on a chair to compensate from her slightly shorter frame. What he did not expect, not even in his wildest imagination, was for a hand to reach up towards him and a soft, slightly grating voice to speak out,

"Come here, I will carry you down to ground level". The black hedgehog's tongue clove to the roof of his mouth, mind scrambled for a few minutes as he tried to think of how this could have happened,

"O,Omega?"

There was a slight 'whumpf' noise and a second later the light was blocked out; Shadow's former team-mate had risen up on his thrusters and was now blocking the attic exit with one hand and his head unit.

"Greetings friend Shadow; it has been a long time. Are you well?"

"Er, yeah, I guess so", pleasantries aside, and realising Amy and Cream must have been at least as confused as he was, he decided to bite the bullet and ask, "Omega, how did you get to Angel Island?"

"Friend Tails transported me here two days, thirteen hours and twenty-six minutes ago as part of a shipment he was transporting in his Tornado vehicle", the robot answered, "his charter business is going well and he agreed to ship me here discreetly; now would you mind holding on to me – I do not wish to run the risk of peeling the wallpaper with the flames from my jets".

"Er, yeah, sure", the black hedgehog stepped forwards nervously, trying hard not to flinch as the robot's fist closed around his chest, bringing him almost to the point of constriction as Omega descended, his departure illuminated by a green light as Shadow assumed Sojourner left in the manner he had arrived. As his feet were set on the ground once more, the black hedgehog found himself looking up at Omega as the robot extended his hand for Amy; despite himself, he smiled slyly,

"I take it the club's going well?"

Despite a lack of emotions, it seemed at least some of Rouge's fashion sense had rubbed off on the robot; all of the paint on Omega's bodywork was buffed and his joints were chromed, shining in the light of his jet boosters. Unfortunately, being unable to recognise sarcasm if it jumped up and bit him, the robot answered the question logically,

"The profit margin is averaging at nineteen and three-quarter percent", he droned as he set Amy down and let the pink hedgehog smooth off her dress; suddenly one of his LED eyes flashed suddenly; _is he trying to wink?_ "the previous proprietor only managed thirteen percent at the best of times". _I guess so_; Shadow sniggered as an outraged voice burst from somewhere nearby,

"Hey, I pretty much signed Club Rouge over to you for a pittance; you have no right to criticise me you overgrown water-heater". The robot gave a half-shrug as, in the distance, the others could hear a voice they presumed to be Lara's chiding Rouge for moving too much,

"Friend Rouge speaks the truth; I paid only one-fifteenth of the true value of such a property at the time", his mechanic voice rose in volume, "and I am grateful; I have never attended a wedding ceremony before this time and am thankful for the opportunity".

"You don't need to be Omega; we've been through too much for you to be denied an invite", the bat's answering tone was softer, though still humorous before she suddenly changed tack, "wait, is Shadow there?"

The black hedgehog started at the mention; it took him a few seconds to find his voice and answer,

"Yeah, I just arrived with Cream and Amy".

"Oh good, he passed on my message then; would you mind coming here for a minute, I've got something I want to say to you". Looking around ands seeing nothing but support on all sides, he stepped forwards, following the bat's voice to wherever it was leading him.

XXX

Shadow pushed the door open, looking in to where Rouge was obviously getting ready; his first impression was white, the beautiful white of her dress and the way it blended so perfectly with the pale fur of her body. She had her back to him, hitching up part of her gown as Lara pinned it in place, the echidna careful not to prick her through the fabric. Shadow cleared his throat and Lara looked up, the older woman smiling and reading down for her dress case,

"Shadow's here Rouge; I'll give you a few minutes"; with that she snapped the small case she had with her closed and carefully squeezed past, the former ultimate life-form moving over to let her exit before wetting his suddenly dry lips and making the first move,

"You, ah, you wanted to see me Rouge?"

"I did", she turned around slowly, not wanting to disturb Lara's ministrations of her dress as she shifted to face the ebon hedgehog, "Shadow, I wanted to ask if you'd do something for me".

He couldn't reply for a minute; his breath had been stolen by the way she looked in this masterpiece of the dressmaker's craft. The dress was fairly typical but so well made; tiny threads of silk and satin were cunningly spun to make it appear like her bodice was hung with tiny, shimmering spider-webs. The dress was ankle-length, thin but heavy enough to stop it flapping around in a stiff wind, and white, the whole thing was white as virgin snow. It spoke of elegance, of beauty and most of all, of a woman wanting to look her absolute best on the biggest day of both her and her groom's lives.

"Rouge, you look…", flapping wildly, he seized the first word that came even vaguely close, "…magical". She smiled and took a step forwards, reaching out for him and gently taking hold of his hand,

"Thank you Shadow, that really means a lot", her face fell slightly; Shadow was tempted to place a hand on her shoulder but resisted, waiting for the request she wanted to make, "you know, don't you, that I've never really had a family I can remember?"

"Yes, you've said so; I'm sorry about that…"

"I can't be helped, but listen, this is a big ask, but I've known you the longest of all; we were almost close once, even if you can't remember it, so please", she raised her eyes to look right into his face, searching and pleading with her face as she made her want open, "please Shadow, could you give me away at the altar?"

_Give you away?_; the traditional duty of the father, to give away his daughter in wedlock – Shadow was speechless, shocked; _were we really as close as that once – curse this memory_. He was understandably quiet for a few moments, letting this sink in and trying to digest this request, sum up logically what it meant for him before answered with the only words he could find,

"It would be my honour, a privilege and a great pleasure Rouge", he wiped suddenly damp eyes, taking her as she hugged him softly, whispering her thanks into his ear as he finished what he needed to say, "thank you for even asking".

"Knuckles wanted Sonic by his side", her reply was muffled, but he heard it effortlessly, the words etching on his heart and soul, "I want you there Shadow; you always were a true friend". _I know I was_; the black hedgehog lowered his face into the material covering her shoulder, reassuring himself and her both; _even if I can't remember, I know that for certain._

XXX

Sonic was out the car before it had stopped; the boot was open before Tails had even had time to consider putting on the handbrake. With frenetic energy, the hedgehog lifted his own travel bag out of the vehicle's boot, taking care to make sure it remained as flat as possible; the last thing he needed now was a crease.

"Oh goody", _oh great_; with a sudden sense of dread, Sonic looked around to see Athair sprinting towards him at the same time as race up the wall to the ceiling – with a painful mnemonic pinch, Sonic remembered the last time that had happened and winced. Having said that though, now he had a better look as Athair approached, Sonic realised he was going a lot more placidly than he normally did; if anything, Sonic would have expected him to be ricocheting around like a ping-pong ball in the wake of his great grandson's forthcoming nuptials. He was dressed much the same as always, though if anything his dreadlock wrappings were a tad more formal than normal and, miracle of miracles, the hyper third-father was wearing shoes.

"I know", almost as if reading his mind, Athair dropped to the floor and bend down, worrying the laces of his footwear the same way a blackbird might try and prise an obstinate worm from the ground, "I hate these things; they don't let any light or air to my little piggies and they need to breathe, especially in this weather".

"Don't take them off – there'll be the devil and grandfather Spectre to pay", there was a trice of panic in Locke's voice as he hurried over and straightened his grandfather out, finishing with, "and between them I'd take on Lucifer any day of the week". Athair sighed and kicked the floor,

"He double-knotted them, I can't free my feet, but maybe", his eyes lit up and everyone cringed in readiness to pounce on his next mad idea, "maybe I could get some scissors and cut the top off; ancient one would never know and…"

"No, grandfather, there's a…", Locke though fast; Athair with a piece of paper was a hazard for everyone's health – him and a pair of scissors was a case of death from above, "…more pressing matter for you to deal with". The scientist indicated where Big was now looking around him as he heaved the refrigerated crate containing his fish platters out of the boot, the black sash of the blindfold he'd voluntarily worn dangling limply from one hand.

"That gentleman needs to find a kitchen", Locke explained, "he's brought some nibbles and they need to be cooked before they can be served at the reception; think you handle it?"

"Of course grandson – it's not like I'm incompetent or anything" Athair sniffed haughtily before flying over and hovering in front of the purple tabby; after a few seconds of introductions, and Big taking in this larger than life persona, the two departed, Athair attempting to orbit the cat's head at the same time as show him the way to go.

"Thank heavens for that", Sonic sighed as he heaved hiss case out, patting his breast pocket to make sure the ring was still in the correct place, "he's nice in small doses, but how you guys haven't turned him six feet under by now's beyond me".

"A question each of us asks every day, at least once", Locke answered before smiling and beckoning, "come on, Knuckles is this way and waiting for you; we've got two hours to get ready".

XXX

The door swung shut behind them, Locke muttering he'd give them some time to get ready; Sonic immediately dropped his case and unzipped it, though his eyes never wavered from the back of his friend as Knuckles paused in fiddling with his neck area and spoke,

"Hi guys, glad you could make it? Where's Shadow?"

"Rouge wanted a word with him, he's at your mum's", Sonic answered before giving a weak smile and making a brave stab at conversation, "so, how're you feeling? Nervous?" here was gruff chuckle and Knuckles turned to face them, the lines of worry deep on his face as his nearly manic grin grated to form the answer,

"Nervous? I've gone way beyond that Sonic; I've fought Metal Sonic in his hyper mode, I've been in space and done all sorts of crazy and plain stupid stuff, but believe me I've never been like this before – I'm half-way between bed-wetting and a near-death experience".

"Don't panic"; all eyes swivelled to the speaker in shock; Sonic and Tails had been so fixated on the echidna they'd completely neglected to register the fact that the Chaotix were there also. Charmy was being helped into his shirt by Vector as Espio wrestled with the belt of his trousers; the bee strained to smile as the crocodile tried to gently position his wings through the twin slits in the fabric,

"Listen, in two hours it'll start, in four hours you'll be married, in eight hours you'll be hammered and in twelve you'll be on your way to the best damn holiday you've ever had". There were a few polite chuckles to this frank statement, though Knuckles did have to correct the bee on one count,

"Hopefully all right apart from the eight hours bit; no alcohol at the reception. Too many minors and too many bad memories to justify that, not to mention I'll have to face mum again"; the guardian broke off shuddering as Sonic shook his head in shared sympathy. He looked back up as Knuckles laughed again, suddenly pointing right at Tails and speaking mock-reproachfully,

"Speaking of which, Wyn's starting to think he's got a rival for her affections you. What have you been up to?" _Ah, right_; the fox felt the fur of his muzzle grow uncomfortably warm as querying glances were sent his way, not helped when Espio added,

"And that little business you've got racketed; making you a pretty penny I bet".

"Business?" Sonic glared at his adopted sibling, eyes probing for answers as Tails squirmed, "good question Knuckles; what have you been up to foxboy?"

"Well", he stammered, trying to come up with an excuse on the fly, "I saw a bit of a gap in the market; you know", he elaborated at the obvious confusion, "Spectre's message about the world below was broadcast, so there was a bit of curiosity as to what it was like down there. So I had a word with Spectre just before Rouge proposed to you; I decided to make a bit of a go of it", _crunch time_; he girdered his loins to deliver the news, "I'm a charter pilot now; I fly echidnas that want to sightsee to and from the Mystic Ruins on a day trip basis; I want to expand in the future but I'm doing all right for now".

"You ship things as well", Vector added helpfully, "I don't know what I'd do without the weekly battery supply I get from you, and Lara like the tea and chocolates you keep bringing her".

"Yeah well fair's fair; she always invites me in for a cup of tea or place to crash for the night if I need it", the fox answered confidently before shrugging, "I do what I can; I've gotta make money somehow" the fox remarked casually before a hand descended on his shoulder and Sonic's jade eyes bored into his,

"Yes, speaking of which", the grip tightened almost painfully, "where's that money you must be making going Tails? And you were going to tell me about this, when exactly?"

"it doesn't really concern you does it Sonic" the fox answered quickly, trying to remain focussed as Sonic raised his eyebrows, "I mean, you'd never want to work for me would you?" The blue blur pursed his lips before nodding in agreement,

"Nah, guess not; flying's never appealed to me the way it has to you", he suddenly smiled and Tails smelt trouble, "but you only answered half my question Tails; what are you doing with the money you're making?" _This'll be interesting_; Sonic had known his brother so long reading him was second nature; the way the tip of his pink tongue flicked across his lips was a sure sign that he was trying to hide something,

"Not too much", he said evasively; Sonic simply smiled and put on the evil eye; Tails hated being stared at too long – eventually he'd crack and sure enough it started as Tails scowled,

"Quit it", the fox demanded, knowing what the blue hedgehog was up to and knowing equally well that he couldn't do a thing about it, "Sonic, stop, that really bugs me". The eyes widened slightly, tracking his every movement like iron filings to a magnet as the younger Mobian raised his hands as if to shield those bale eyes from view,

"I stop staring when you start talking Tails", the hedgehog said, eyes still glued on his brother's reluctant form until eventually,

"Ah, okay, okay, just stop with the freaky staring; one day I will poke your eyes out, you do realise that?"

"Sure do, but it's not today", the blue hero said smugly, folding his arms, "now out with it". Tails sighed and tried to prepare his next move, acutely aware that he had the undivided attention of everyone in the room focussed solely on him,

"Well, I'm trying to build a second Tornado, and the parts don't come cheap – you know I said I want to expand when I can, well I need more planes to do that and the Tornado's a good start point. Maybe I can improve it this time around", his eyes misted up as he thought about his baby now cocooned safely in Haven's vehicle bay; unfortunately this sudden lapse in concentration took his eye off the ball for a fraction of a second as his own tongue punished him, "then I've applied for the amateur pilot license for…" he cut himself off just in time.

"Why?" Sonic pounced on the error; _not like Tails to make a mistake like that one_; "you've already got an amateur pilot licence haven't you?"

"Yeah, I mean of course I have", the fox blustered, keeping his fingers crossed and silently pleading with all the deities remotely associated with luck to keep his cover, "I meant a pro license; I need one to have more than one plane at a time". _Yes_; he was flushed with quiet jubilation; _no-one saw it, I'm home scot…_

"So who's the amateur licence for", Espio's voice slit the conversation wide open and Tails was struck cold with terror as the chameleon finished, "I know from you tone you have one ordered; you're training a new pilot I take it?"

"Yeah", the fox shrugged, attempting to sound off-hand with the matter, "yeah I'll need someone to fly the next plane I make and…" he was cut off by Knuckles doubling over with a sudden burst of laughter, slapping his knee as something ate into him; _and don't I know just what!_

"And I know", Knuckles spoke, eyes now practically alive with jest and fun; Tails closed his eyes waiting for it as the echidna finished, "who it is you're training, don't I foxboy?" Taking the silence as answer, the guardian broke down into helpless giggles,

"Right on you little hound-dog; when're the invites going out for you and Cream getting hitched; I want a front row seat!"

"You're training Cream as a _pilot_!" Sonic looked torn between deep shock and heading down the same path as Knuckles, "what's Vanilla got to say about this?"

"She doesn't mind; she thinks Cream belongs in the air and watches her train with me", the fox admitted, cheek blazing as Knuckles laughter was oil on the fire, Vector trying to be discreet in his mirth not helping much either, "it'll be better money than any other job she'll have in the school holidays".

"Lucky her", Charmy said suddenly, eyes misty as something seemed to occur to him; without really realising the impact of his words he explained blithely, "wish someone loved me enough to build me a skateboard, never mind a whole plane".

_Oh crikey_; that was enough to set the whole party off; Sonic was giggling with his mouth open, pointing at him with his hands over his mouth as Vector and Knuckles both fell about laughing; _alas poor ego, I knew ye well_. He did the best he could in the circumstances; stand there and take it, nodding and grinning painfully at the flak as it came; or at least, he did until Knuckles spoke again, his phone at his ear,

"Hey, mum, is Creheheheeam there?"

"No", the fox darted forwards, only to be restrained by Sonic; in desperation he shouted the clinching words, "she doesn't know about the plane; it's a surprise for when she passes her amateur license test!" Apparently though, Knuckles didn't hear him and continued to speak amid the gales of laughter,

"Hi floppy, guess what…"

"Don't you dare you red headed hillbilly!"

"…Tails has a little surprise hidden for you…"

"I'm warning you Knucklehead!"

"…he's building you…", Knuckles left a dramatic pause, Tails dared to hope, "a new plane!"

Tails slumped forwards in his captor's arms, sudden shame and embarrassment writhing in his gut like a fiery worm; he couldn't believe Knuckles of all people would have done something a cruel as that, and worse as he listened on,

"Yeah, ain't he a sweetheart", the echidna gave him a thumbs-up before saying the words he dreaded most of all, "you want a word; sure, hang on". Knuckles offered his phone to the almost weeping fox, grinning like a maniac and half-singing, "it's for you!" _Well, better get this over with_; extending a suddenly heavy arm, the mechanic brought the appliance to his ear,

"Hi Cream, yeah it true I…huh?" It was only then that, rather than talk, the fox actually listened to what she was saying,

"…to hear our options for double rooms, press six, to hear these options again, press seven…" The fox flung the phone back at the echidna, who simply fell over hysterical,

"YOU…"

XXX

_Git, git, git, git, git_; Tails stalked down the corridors of Haven in high dudgeon, smarting like hell at that cruel prank; _I can not believe Knuckles did that!_ The fox slammed open the nearest door, threw his case inside and sat down on the nearest chair, running his hands through his hair and noticing even as he did that by sheer good fortune he was in a bathroom and he could use a shower before the big event, now under two hours away. As he peeled off his shoes and socks and laid out his lovingly pressed tuxedo, the fox suddenly bumped his pocket with his elbow; this tiny contact was enough to fuel his revenge-craving mind to new heights of maliciousness. In a second he'd cut the water to the shower for a little while; he had a call of his own to make before he could get ready. It rang four times before he received his answer,

"Oh, hi Lara, it's Tails", he greeted pleasantly before moving onto the crux of the issue, "this might sound a bit random, but I need a favour; could you have Sojourner bring your photo album to Haven, I promise I'll get it back to you", he crossed his fingers once more before sighing in relief, grinning like a maniac as he finished the call, "you're an angel, thank you. See you in a few hours; not long now hey?" With that, he cut off his call, hit the on button, climbed into the shower and plotted his next move; _now I need Locke to talk to…_

XXX

Vector gave him the nudge just as he was straightening his tie; Knuckles glanced around to see Tails heading into the departure bay lugging what looked like a briefcase with him, aiming for the seeming fleet of cars present ready to transport the Brotherhood and the others to the church where the ceremony would take place. Excusing himself for a few minutes, the echidna walked over to the kit and cleared his throat, speaking immediately as Tails looked up,

"Listen Tails, I've got to say sorry", the fox's ears twitched, a sign he was listening, which in Knuckle's eyes could only be a good thing as he continued, "about what happened earlier; there's no excuse to play with your feeling like that; I really am sorry". The kit looked up and something like a wistfully annoyed smile crossed his face,

"Oh don't worry; at least you didn't actually tell her anything; if you had there'd be a funeral rather than a wedding today". The echidna chuckled before pointing down with interest,

"What's in the bag?"

"Nothing much; just something to make the reception go well", Tails saw the look in the guardian's eye and hastily added, "it's not alcohol or anything like that".

"Good", there was steel in his voice now, though it softened as he reached down and relieved the fox of his burden, "I suppose this is the least I can do to make up; I can only plead that the stress is doing funny thing to my mind".

"There's enough in there for funny things to happen?"; Knuckles chuckled and led Tails onwards, not seeing the kit's smile widen; _stress does funny things, but I bet there not as funny as things your stag night did to you were!_

XXX

"This is it Knucks", Sonic spoke as though sizing himself up for a death-defying stunt, "show-time".

"Don't", the echidna moaned softly as butterflies created a whirlwind in his stomach and potential calamities flittered in and out of his mind's eye; he could recall every turn, every twist and every slight jolt of the hover-car trip here in minute detail and every minute of it seemed to have lengthened into a year. He adjusted his tie again and suddenly his legs were weak and barely able to support him, he was going to fall…

"Steady", a clam but firm voice growled in his ear; Spectre was suddenly at his shoulder and Knuckles could draw strength from his presence, "we've all been there; it's natural to feel jittery on the big day".

"Jitters; I feel like I'm going to faint".

"Don't you dare", the younger guardian had the sudden bowel-freezing fear that Spectre was about to pounce on him if he did anything of the sort, "we've all waited long enough for this; we are not going to wait another fifteen or so minutes to resuscitate you just because you're feeling a few nerves".

"Yes grandfather", Knuckles answered meekly, staring at the doors in front of him as if by doing so he could force them to open, or force them to say closed – his thoughts alternated between the two options almost with each second. He could hear what sounded like an organ began played behind the door and its notes echoed the frantic beating of his heart and the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead; he wanted to wipe them off so badly but was prevented by the irrational fear that if he did it'd show up on his sleeve. He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing in an effort to keep his cool,

"Hi", the voice was female; Knuckles looked down to see Cream, dressed as a bridesmaid with Amy, take her place ahead of him and next to the pageboy Tails. _That must mean_; his breath came quick and shallow, the room fading as a simple truth became plain in his eyes; _she's here – oh my God, this is actually going to happen – I'm going to marry Rouge the Bat!_

He could not dwell on such thoughts; at that second, the doors ahead of him were opened and out of them strode a fairly elderly looking echidna, dressed in clerical robes and with spectacles, smiling benignly as he said in a quiet voice,

"Guest please, this way"; Knuckles watched a seemingly endless procession of Mobian he knew and loved walk past; his family, mother and father side both, offering small smiles (with the exception of Athair, who somehow nipped in and pecked him on the cheek before zipping through the doors), then Shadow, a knowing nod his only contribution. The three Chaotix followed him, Charmy giving a thumbs-up before, to the echidna's amazement, a robot that simply had to be a buffed up Omega walked past, dimming his jets as he clumped inside. Big followed last, wrapped in the black garment he'd had to try and modify on his own as he'd admitted that none of the shops in Station Square stocked tuxedos his size. He still looked presentable though, sitting down behind one of the Brotherhood as his size easily afforded him a good view. With a sudden shift of position, the echidna priest smiled at him next,

"And now for you my son"; _what, aren't there more?_ Knuckles glanced around to check everyone had gone it, but no, there was just him really left. A hand planted itself in his back and he stumbled forwards with Sonic's voice in his ears,

"Go red; this is it".

Never had twenty or so feet felt like such a marathon; eyes of expectation were beating down on him every step of the way and he was almost crushed into the floor by their combined weight. It took every ounce of strength, physical and mental both, to put one foot in front of the other and carry on going, drag himself to the altar and stand before the priest without his nerve shattering and him rushing away, far away as fast as he could go. He forced himself to look at the window, the beautiful stained glass that looked down upon him and cast the strange patterns on the floor around him. Luxurious reds and yellow, intricate and so perfectly crafted it was a miracle; he almost lost himself as the light played on the floor around him, splaying over his suit and beautiful in his hair; as he looked up, he stumbled to a halt as he realised he was at the steps leading up to the altar. _This is it then_; with a slow, deliberate movement, he lifted his foot up and placed it on the step; _I've come through battle, fire and pain to be here today, with the woman who claimed me as her bridegroom_; he heaved the rest of his body onto the step, driven by a single thought; _I will not let her down now!_

XXX

The first warning he had after an eon of seemingly boring waiting was the shuffling of a small congregation standing up; a second later the organ's music filtered through the still air and his breath caught in his throat. Summoning the very last of his courage, the singular scraps of his resolve, he steeled himself up enough to glance behind him, just once, at where she was now coming from, coming to join him in this now-on-longer lonely vigil at the altar; he saw white in his vision, he took his first glimpse of Rouge for nearly two and a half months and as he did, something unexplainable happened – all the fear, nerves and self-doubt, they just melted away, lost like straws on the wind as he saw Rouge approach, face covered with a thin white veil, looking more like an angel flanked by celestial bearers in the forms of Cream and Amy. _An angel she is, my angel_; the echidna finally loosened off as he head her soft footfalls on the carpet behind him, smiling now easily as the basic truth came out; _Rouge is here with me – nothing can go wrong._

And just for once, for maybe the first time in his life, nothing did; the blessings were conducted with the proper air of respect and dignity, there was a brief gasp as Shadow stood up at the priest's declaration of giving the bride away, standing beside Sonic and behind Rouge with an air of combined gratitude and dignity as he nodded at the echidna conducting the ceremony. Knuckles was half-afraid that one member of his family in particular would raise their hand at the declaration of their reasons for these two not to be married, but Sojourner must have been able to hold his peace this time, for the church was still as stone. In fact, the biggest panic came when Sonic nearly fumbled passing the ring to the preacher, though Knuckles was too euphoric to lay blame on him, merely whispering,

"Nearly", from the corner of his mouth. He slid the ring he had so long yearned for onto his new bride's fourth finger, cherishing the softness of the skin on her now-bare hand, touching it with his own naked paw and treasuring the sensations as she symbolically reciprocated the gesture, speaking ancient promises of binding for eternity. Almost before he realised it, the priest turned to him and spoke those priceless words he'd waited for too long to hear,

"I pronounce this couple echidna and wife", he turned to Knuckles and smiled, "you may kiss the bride"

With reverence, with humility and with great, boundless joy, the guardian turned to his partner and slowly raise his hands, brushing the veil that still covered her face and so gently, raising it, exposing her immaculate features. The white material sloughed down the back of her dress as Knuckles was lost for all but two words, engulfed once more by her breathtaking beauty and vibrancy,

"You're perfect". She looked up, tears of triumph glistening in her eyes as she shook her head quickly, reaching down, entwining their bare hands as they had at the start of their relationship proper,

"No", she contradicted him correctly, "we're perfect". With that, she leaned forwards, Knuckles drawn towards her magnetically as the first claps began; their lips met like fire and ice both combined, they held each other as close as could be as applause was raised to the rafters, celebration and nothing less erupting at this culmination of happiness.

Finally, when they were ready, when they were satisfied that all the time spent apart and frustration of being separated for that time was gone forever, they parted, but could never be parted; as surely as night must follow day, they would be together. Smiling eternally, Knuckles looked to see Sonic, tears streaming down his face as he applauded, and nodded in deference, thankful for the duty he had done; the hedgehog shook his head and pointed down the aisle, the meaning clear; _run you two – your future is waiting_. With a shared glance, the new husband and wife took off, love lending wings to their heels as the congregations cheered them on unstoppably, many in tears but cheering still. Without pause, without thought, they raced into the car awaiting them, already pre-programmed to the destination courtesy of Locke, held each other in their arms and kissed once more.

XXX

The hall had been booked by the Brotherhood, the food and drink provided by Wynmacher's restaurant and a little help from Big's idea and the music and entertainment as a gift from the Chaotix to their former drill sergeants; truly a family effort if ever there was one. Locke had programmed a very slight detour into the newly-weds car, a canny scheme designed to give everyone else time to prepare everything. As Vector and the rest of the Chaotix set up the disco lights, Wyn was in his elements organising the team of caterers,

"Put that next to the best man's seat", he ordered curtly, trying to keep on top of the job as a stream of echidnas went passed and showed him plates of delicious food; with a quick once over he asserted the correct place for everything to go, "that should go onto the main table", there was a stab of panic as the main wedding cake was brought in by a team of three, "and for the love of the lord don't drop that or Lara will flay me alive".

"If you're lucky", the lady in question asserted before sneaking in and squeezing her new flame, "thanks for everything Wyn; you've really outdone yourself this time".

"Well, it's your son's big day; I had to make sure it went with a bang didn't I?" he answered, hugging her back before something on one of the buffet tables caught his eye. Disentangling himself from Lara, the chef whistled over,

"Hey Jose", his friend from the restaurant hurried over after putting down his plate of crisps; Wyn pointed and he followed with his eyes, "did you order those fish rolls? I can't remember doing it". The slightly younger echidna shook his head,

"Nah, wasn't me. Where did they come from?" there was a discreet cough from behind them; turning around, al three echidna found themselves face to chest with Big. The cat managed a nervous smile as his elephantine feet shuffled in worry; clearing his throat, he explained the mystery,

"Sorry, those are mine; I made them", his voice failed him and all he could do was smile; to his eternal relief, Wyn smiled back and nodded his head,

"Okay, thanks for that" he managed to say before a sudden loud cheer rent the air; Lara latched onto his arm and began dragging him off towards the door,

"They're here Wyn; oh I can't believe it – my boy's married a girl, oh they're going to have the best time of their lives together, I can feel it". Regathering his feet, the male echidna straightened himself out and grinned,

"Well, best we go and meet them then; race ya". The two echidnas ran forwards, the larger form of Big moving more slowly behind them, careful not to disturb anything with his bulk as he moved forwards to congratulate his friends.

XXX

With a barely audible crack, the icing was broken by the keen edge of the knife, a cheer going up as the wedding cake was cut cleanly and, with surprising delicacy, Knuckles eased a sizable slice onto the plate of his new wife. There was genuine, warm applause as he repeated the movement for himself before sitting back down, flanked by a grinning Rouge and his mother, the two most important women in his life. The bat smiled as she leaned towards him,

"Thanks Knuxie"; of course, just as she had planned, he opened his mouth to answer; it was then she thrust her other hand forwards, cramming his teeth with the cake he had presented her with, the icing splashing all over his muzzle as he tried to avoid choking amid gales of laughter, "how's it taste?" She was ready to defend herself should he look for revenge, but strangely he didn't, merely swallowing his mouthful of cake and smiling as he as he licked the spun sugar from his lips,

"Sometimes batgirl", a drip of icing fall from his nose and he just whipped out his tongue in time to catch it before finishing, "I really, really hate you". She laughed at his mock-serious expression and punched his arm,

"That's why you married me isn't it?"

"One reason", he confessed before giving his own wicked grin, "that and the fact you've got a butt you could park a bike in"; he caught her wrist as she tried to slap him for his cheek at the same time as try not to laugh,

"You", she spluttered her answer, "you married me for my body?"

"Not much else worth taking is there; I mean, I've got brains for both of us, you're just there to look like a million dollars". At this, she burst her slim wrist from his grip and gripped his tie; for a second he feared strangulation before she yanked his forwards, kissing him again as the first demands of a speech went up. The new couple broke apart, Rouge commenting that Wyn really had done something special on the cake icing, just in time to see Sonic rise from his seat the other side of Shadow and reach into his other breast pocket, pulling out the notes he'd spend the better part of a week working on. Clearing his throat and gesturing for silence, the hedgehog began,

"Well, here we all are, and I can't think of anywhere else on earth I'd rather be right now than here watching two of my closest friends finally getting their acts together and wedding each other", he favoured Knuckles and Rouge with his traditional smile and they both rolled their eyes, "took your time about it you two, but I suppose it's better late than never".

"You can talk" Amy whispered from beside him, poking him min the thigh and causing him to chuckle a little before he caught his place again,

"Knucks, we met four years ago in, well not the best of circumstances; as in you robbed me blind and then legged it, but once we got it through to you that we were friendly, we hit it off pretty well. In fact", the hedgehog scratched the side of his face, "when Rouge met you, she nicked all your worldly treasure and ran off with it; you had something in common right from the word go – a pair of kleptomaniacs". There was scattered laughter as the hedgehog suddenly threw all the pieces of paper casually over his shoulder and spread his arms wide, twisting to face the room as a whole,

"Forget the fancy stuff – I know these two deserve each other, were made for each other and I am one of the happiest Mobians alive today now I know they've finally got each other. Knuckles, Rouge, I want you to have the time of your lives together and hell, I'm sure you will; oh one last thing though, I need you to do me a favour Rouge", the bat glanced up as Knuckles saw a trademark mischievous smirk on his friend's face; _this'll be embarrassing_.

"Knucks is a little shy in the ways of the world, so please", he put on a pleading expression and appealed to the now grinning bat, "be gentle with him, at least at first. After that, well, who knows…"

_Just too far away to hit_; the echidna scowled as the beaming hedgehog took a small bow and sat down, merry peals of laughter following him, Rouge being amongst the contributors as she faced him again and mocked,

"Don't worry, I'll look after you". Just as he made to deliver his counter, another voice pierced the mirth, this one, however, was a little more unexpected,

"Hold it, hold it", Amy had stood now, apparently unconcerned that she was the centre of attention as she too looked over at the centre of the main table, smiling serenely to disguise the mischief in her heart; _been waiting for this chance for ages – cruel maybe, but hell, she'll get over it_.

"I've got a question of my own, one I'm pretty sure all us other girls wanted answering from you Rouge", the bat raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was after; before she could form much of a guess though, Amy had carried on, "everyone who knows you would admit you've got a fantastic figure and, unlike us lesser mortals, can get away with wearing those hugging jumpsuits without looking like someone forgot to iron you". The pink hedgehog waited for the whistling and cheers to die down, grinning inside as she realised the bat was already starting to blush a little; _then this'll make her go my sort of colour_;

"But there's one thing that gets to me, one thing I really can't figure out, one secret I need to know the answer to", she laid it on with a trowel, setting her victim up for the KO blow as she somehow found the mental resolve to put on her cutest, most pleading face and spell it out, "how, how, how do you wear those jumpsuits and avoid VPL?"

As the laughter crashed down around her, Rouge fell forwards and buried her face in her hands, the skin she could feel warm even though her clothes; even her ears were burning up as she ran her hands up and over the top of her head, not believe that Amy had found the guts, the sheer outright nerve to ask a question like that. She panted with shock and embarrassment, even as Knuckles banged his head on the table in throes of hysteria, everyone else in a similar state as she looked up. _She must have had a motive_; her mind tried every avenue to try and escape this excruciating purgatory of embarrassment; _what did I do that…?_ The bat dared to glance around over where Sonic was sprawled in his chair, heaving with dry laughter and gasping for air, to Amy, who was still stood up, a wicked grin on her lips as she noticed Rouge looking at her. As an explanation, she almost casually ran a finger through the quills on top of her head but, more importantly, Rouge saw her fingers touch her left ear; _her pierced ear_! Rouge understood now, having seen the jewelled flower fixed there and accepting that, just maybe, she had deserved a bit of a comeuppance after embarrassing the pink hedgehog's boyfriend at Christmas;_ note to self, hedgehogs really do bear grudges_.

"Well", Rouge snapped her eyes open as it appeared Amy wasn't done yet, "come on, I'm dying for an answer here". The bat glared round, waving a warning finger as the hedgehog tried to look innocent; but at that second Knuckles controlled himself just enough to come to her rescue. Well, sort of,

"Tell you what Ames", the echidna chortled, hugging his wife in by her shoulder, "when we get back, I'll let you know how she does it".

"Oi", Rouge squirmed in his grip and made to pummel him as the howls of hysteria and wolf-whistles threatened to deafen them all, "you rotten little marsupial, I aught tooohhoo…" She tailed off as Knuckles' fingers found her ears again and she was overcome, helpless as he smiled at her,

"Gonna calm down now?"

"Y,Yeah" she agreed, desperate to stop this luxurious torture, but Knuckles wasn't being quite as forgiving as that,

"Sure?"

"Yeah", she said again, eyes half-closed in ecstasy as she moaned, "Knuxie, stoohohop".

"Okay, on one condition though" he offered; she nodded, going beyond the power of words now as he suddenly let her go and took her hand, standing up as he gave the nod to Vector, "I have this dance". The bat shook herself and smiled back, leaping up to match him as everyone else, sensing the serious stage of the proceedings had been well and truly blown to bits by Amy's fantastic query, made to stand up and join in the play.

XXX

Sonic bowed to his partner, almost breathless after the fast number as he was led to the seating at the edge of the dance floor, flopping gratefully into a chair and grabbing a glassful of the nearest cold substance, draining it in one,

"Wow, you can really dance Lara". His partner looked over, smoothing her hair and not even appearing to have broken a sweat as she smiled,

"Wyn taught me everything I know" she admitted freely, smiling over Sonic's shoulder; turning to follow her gaze, the blue hedgehog saw the brown echidna talking to Big, pausing every so often to scribble frantic notes on what looked like a napkin. Seeing his questioning look, Lara laughed,

"He'll be after the recipe your friend used to make those fish rolls; Wyn's never happy unless there's some other culinary delight or other he can cook up", she reached over casually and took one of the aforementioned delicacies, pausing to take a mouthful before finishing, "and this time, I have to agree with him; this is divine".

"That's Big all right", Sonic chuckled, looking over at where, having finished talking with Wynmacher, the purple cat was now sitting quietly, content as always to observe the scene at his own pace, "what he doesn't know about catching and cooking fish could be written on a pinhead with a pneumatic drill; he lives in the wild you see", he explained as Lara looked a little confused, "likes it out there and looks after himself".

"Sounds like my son" the echidna woman smiled as she indicated where the guardian was dancing a quick number with a giggling Cream, the rabbit's feet barely touching the floor as old pangs resurfaced despite herself. Seeing this, Sonic was grateful when, with a hefty thud and a groan, Vector flumped down in a seat nearby,

"That aught to do it; next five tunes are rigged up on autocue, enough for us to grab a drink and some chow", Sonic realised the 'us' referred to Espio, the chameleon visible only by his suit as he'd naturally blended in with the background again. Curious as he'd never really gotten the chance to speak to any of the Chaotix yet, the hedgehog looked around,

"How's it been going up here; been working you hard has he?" The crocodile favoured him with a very long-suffering look,

"And I thought slavery was illegal; I even think about the exercises we did and I start to get cramp", he suddenly smiled, "but it was worth it; those two deserve a break; can't be easy guardin' a big rock all yer life".

"Well said but", Lara looked around her (Sonic out of instinct for checking the coast was clear flicked his eyes upwards) and then leaned forwards, whispering under the blanket of noise coming from the speakers, "who's guarding the you-know-what now?"

"We are", Espio whispered back, settling himself down and surreptitiously extending his arm, something like a wristwatch falling into view, though it didn't have a face on it as he explained, "we had a word with Locke and the Brotherhood, after Charmy roped us into this job, and together we came up with a plan", he gestured for them to come into a huddle as Vector kept watch, "Locke rigged up a network of electronic sensors all around the shrine, you can't get through it any way without getting through these sensors, even by air; we all tried for weeks on end, with scramblers and reflective material to try and slip the net, but we couldn't. So no-one can get near the shrine without being detected by this hidden system". The chameleon fell silent, obviously waiting for someone to ask so stifling a sigh, Sonic obliged,

"Okay, how does this affect you?" The chameleon pointed to his wrist,

"Because of this; when the net's broken, it sends a signal to this and it emits a low buzz; that's the signal to move. We now have a place in Echidnopolis, can't say where, with a teleporter array courtesy of your ex-husband", if Lara coloured slightly here, Espio didn't notice the feelings he was stirring up, "it gets us right to the Master Emerald and we go from there". At this point, Vector leaned in, the song changing, and motioned for them to swap roles, realising perhaps a little to late that Espio, for all his talent at hiding his emotions, would never be any kind of diplomat,

"There's also this", he pointed to one of two buttons studded on the edge of the fake timepiece, "press it and it'll send an electric shock through the other pieces; lets us call in the cavalry; one press is 'get here' , two is 'get here now' and three is life or death. I already told red that we're as hard into this job as he is; someone wants the M.E. they have to go through us first, and I for one ain't goin' down easy". Surprised by the steel in the normally placid crocodile's voice, Sonic looked up to see the fire in his eyes as well as his belly; taken aback, he had to let Lara answer for him,

"Good; you know what's at stake here?"

"Yeah", the crocodile nodded, falling back into his normal relaxed state as Espio suddenly tapped him on the shoulder; Rouge was approaching with Sabre in tow and a smile on her face,

"Ah, there you are". Espio raised a non-existent eyebrow in distain,

"You've been looking for me? Why?"

"Tradition", the bat answered, smile widening with each word as she held out her arm, "the bride has to dance with every male guest, and that includes you".

Espio's face physically fell and his skin went grey in shock; Sonic would have fallen into laughter if it hadn't been so serious – for a fleeting second he'd thought the chameleon was going to drop dead in terror before, with a visible effort, there was a flush of purple and he was himself once more, if a little uncertain of his words,

"Ah, but…"

"No buts", the bat ordered, "I like tradition and you're sticking to it, like it or not".

"I can't dance". Rouge swept her arm back, showing Espio the scene,

"Neither can the rest of us, but that's not stopping us; now come on, it won't be that bad I promise". The chameleon cast Vector a despairing look as he was almost dragged away to the dance floor, but the crocodile merely toasted with his glass; _Esp needs to lighten up more, but I don't think dancing is really his thing_.

XXX

_Made it_; with a joyful hiss, Tails rigged up the last few wires he needed, ensuring power to the small projector that was now resting on top of the boom box Vector had supplied to this event; _oh vengeance, your name is Miles Prower_. Peeking out from where he was now crouched, the kit made to sidle back into dancing, milling throng unnoticed, slipping behind Thunderhawk when the echidna's back was turned. Taking a drink from a pitcher on one of the buffet tables, Tails faced his next problem; how to call a halt to this whole celebration without Knuckles getting a sniff of his plan; that would be tricky, but as Cream span in beside him and asked to dance, breathing heavy and dress ruffled from her spin with Knuckles and Athair, he reckoned it was a problem that could wait,

"Excuse me Cream", both younger Mobians looked over to see Rouge bearing down on them, a smile on her face as she inclined her head to the rabbit girl, "mind if I have this dance?" Playing along, Cream dropped a curtsy and grinned,

"Not at all; I'll catch you later" she promised as Tails allowed himself to be led to the floor by the bat, already settled on his plan due to his massively tuned intelligence. _She should be easy to rope in, especially as he embarrassed her not an hour ago_; the fox felt his grin darken as the next song began and he followed Rouge's lead; _this'll be a plan to remember_.

"Hey Rouge", the bat looked down at her dancing partner, raising her eyebrows as he put a finger to his lip and spoke in a voice so quiet only her ears would hear it in the background of music; at the start she was confused, but by the end of their waltz together, she was grinning almost as much as he was, still confused, but the promise of 'he'll go twice as red as you did' sealed the deal for her.

XXX

The music dies suddenly and abruptly; naturally, all eyes turned to the stage, where Rouge had a microphone and was not afraid to use it,

"Listen up everyone, especially you Knucks", the echidna raised his glass as the bat pointed to the side of her, where Tails was stood seemingly innocuously, "Tails has something he wants to show you all. Take it away foxboy". With that, she tossed the mike to the fox, who caught it deftly and switched on his projector in one fluid movement, speaking as he did so,

"Well, I'm not old enough to make a proper speech, but I had to do something at the wedding of two of my best friends; I'm sorry I couldn't do the same for you Rouge, but anyway", he cut off to hide his own smile as he took a drink, all eyes now curious as they tried to guess what the fox was up to, turning to see the blank white screen focussed on the back wall, coming into focus as Tails manipulated the controls on top of the small box, "so with no further ado, I present the history of the one, the only, Knuckles Echidna". He pressed the switch in his hands and a pearly white oval was displayed on the screen as Tails spoke again,

"From humble beginnings…"

There was scattered laughter as everyone realised what the picture was; Knuckles before he'd even hatched. The echidna shook his head a little as Shadow punched his shoulder and spoke mirthfully,

"The ultimate baby photo Knucks", before Tails cut him off with his microphonically assisted volume,

"…the future guardian grew into the echidna we all know so well today. Even in his early years, he was a skilled opponent", a picture of Knuckles, still wearing a nappy and seemingly gurgling happily as he fought with a single hand of his mother's, "facing off all comers, though he wasn't afraid to use weapons if he could get them", Locke this time, trying to feed the infant Knuckles, apparently unaware that the baby echidna held a rattle poised right over his head; the laughter spread a little at this baby portfolio and Knuckles turned to shake a fist playfully at the fox, who simply smiled and pressed the switch once more.

"But as time passed, the baby grew into the imposing guardian he is now", there was a picture of Knuckles in his classic boxing stance, face grim and stern as Sonic recognised that picture; the first one they'd ever been able to take of their new ally, after the destruction of the Death Egg, "though, behind that iron mask, he was a caring soul and a really good friend", the screen flickered again, showing the echidna this time with Amy, apparently helping the hedgehog stand up after a fall, a slight 'aww' echoing through the watching crowds as the pink hedgehog smiled; _my first time on Angel Island – how did Tails get that one – I didn't think he had a phone then._

"But then", the fox continued his narrative, "came his ultimate test; the one who fought him all the way to the limit and beyond", Rouge appeared on the back wall, posing as she often did, dangerous yet at the same time so alluring, "these two fought tooth and nail both against and with each other, forever it seemed they could never be anything other than deadly foes", a still of one of the bat and echidna's frequent spars followed; it looked as though Knuckles was about to get his teeth kicked down his throat as he stood directly in front of the bat's Drill Drive, though Tails didn't leave the image there long, "and yet, there was something there; somehow, slowly, hate turned to affection", a picture of the Boxing Day Bash, Knuckles and Rouge posing beside the main fountain, making it look as though water was spouting from the bat's ears and out the crown of the echidna's head, "and then even to love, ending with the reason we're all here together now. I want to wish both of you all the very best for the future", the fox bowed his head, but before any applause could start, snapped back up again, eyes full of fire as he gazed once more, now a little venom in his voice as he added, "but also a warning for Rouge".

Knuckles looked around baffled, as did everyone else save maybe one; Tails used speed as his saviour, off the blocks before he could be questioned,

"When his blood is up, Knuckles can take on any foe due to his ancestry", the next slide showed the guardian flashing a dark red colour, the signature of his hyper form, "but there's another power he has that only recently came to light", Tails was fighting not to laugh as he suddenly pointed at the bride, "Rouge, be warned; when Knuckles is mixed with alcohol", the penultimate slide was doctored, by the exacting standards for the fox somewhat crudely, but it was passable as Knuckles seemed to be sitting down, holding a glass of something in his hand; Tails wound it up as danger alerts flashed red in Knuckles' mind, "he becomes…" the fox took a faint, fleeting second, just to savour the apprehension that came about the end of his performance, then he hit the switch for the final time, a last word welcoming the final slide of the show,

"…irresistible!"

There was shocked, appalled silence as the image flickered into view; everyone stunned into speechlessness, not least the ones who were actually in the slide. Knuckles was certainly there, though not a lot could be seen of him as it appeared he lay on his back in a bed; nothing unusual in that, save his bed partners. No-one could mistake the fact that he had Sonic on one side of him and Shadow on the other, each cuddled up close with one of their hands on his chest, each of the hedgehogs held in place by one paw around their shoulders, hugging them in as they slept. The blanket was pulled up to the guardian's chest, the mere tips of his crest visible through a combination of the material and Thunderhawk, the elder echidna with his head resting on the guardian's stomach, face down on top of his sixth-son. As a final, poisonous cherry atop of this macabre dessert, Knuckles and both hedgehogs had huge grins plastered on their faces, evidently they appeared to have enjoyed what had gone on during the echidna's stag night as the fox's revenge was served not just cold but straight from the freezer.

Knuckles had gone white, then red and now as he looked up at that blasphemy again, went white again, unable to conceive of anything like this ever happening; he must have been out of his mind to let anyone get away with something like this. Shadow by the side of him had both hands clapped over his mouth, eyes bulging out of his head as the whole grisly scene burned into his retinas forever. _Oh my life is over_; the guardian felt his precious ego ripped into absolute shreds – compared to this he'd have welcomed a thousand terrible middle names; it was as this thought thundered into his head the inevitable happened.

A single hiccupping laugh broke the silence, followed by another, then three more and before his very eyes, the dam broke. Everyone spared from such pictorial travesty, even Spectre himself, let rip with unstoppable belly laughter, folding up and howling like they would burst something internally. Knuckles fell to his haunches, face in his hands as his ears filtered it all into his abused brain; Vector collapsed against him, almost sobbing with the effort of laughing so hard and asking if he needed a manager in his career as a porn star, while the other three actors in this black comedy received similar treatment from anyone nearby. However, as the helpless laughter continued, Knuckles slowly stood up, one voice seemingly picked out by his ears, filtered and purified above all others; looking to the side of him, he saw Shadow and their eyes met, the same burning, white hot yearning filling both of them; _kill the foxboy!_

XXX

He saw them coming and knew what he had to do; he'd been in motion long before they'd started marching towards him. Sprinting down the stairs, the fox flung himself behind the only other Mobian to remain at least partially in control in the aftermath of this bombshell, thrusting her forwards like a shield as Sonic, Shadow, Thunderhawk and Knuckles all bore down on him,

"Lara, protect me". _Got you all and you can't get me_; the echidna woman would see to that as she dried her eyes on a napkin and faced them – he knew he was safe as she put an arm around his shoulders and gently pushed him forwards,

"Now, why would I do that?"

_What?_; Tails had to think fast through the shock as he could feel his back skin crawl, trying to escape from the deadly eye beams the four older Mobians were sending his way,

"But Lara", he appealed to her obviously faulty memory, "you said you'd look after me…"

"If the picture slipped out", she finished for him smoothly before nodding at the back wall, "I didn't say you could show it willy-nilly so", _I'm dead_; Tails cringed, knowing his escape was impossible as Lara doomed him with a flippant, "he's all yours boys". A hand clawed itself in the back of his shirt collar and he had barely time for a yike as he was jerked backwards into the waiting bear pit.

"Well", Thunderhawk demanded as he wrapped the fox up in his favourite full-nelson hold, "what shall we do with this little squirt?" Knuckles had fire in his eyes so fierce Tails cringed as he extended his hands towards his now extremely vulnerable throat,

"I say we break both his tails and throw him off something high, with an anchor on his ankles".

"Don't kill my brother", Sonic interjected before grabbing a handful of scruff and hauling the fox painfully out of Thunderhawk's grip, "let me do it!"

"No, I've got it", Shadow declared, bending down and picking Tails' feet off the floor, "this way, one each", together they carried the struggling fox to the centre of the room, plenty of open space as each wronged party took hold of a limb, Shadow grinning like a madman as he announced, "little squirt here's about to get a growth spurt; ready guys?"

"No wait", Tails pleaded frantically, trying one last wriggle against the iron hands holding him, one last desperate defence, "my suit'll stretch and…"

"Pull!"

XXX

It's traditional for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold, but maybe not so much for him to have to carry her out of the reception; Rouge was so exhausted from laughing herself hoarse and reminding Sonic that the best man was supposed to run away with the bride, not the groom, Knuckles had to half-carry her towards the car that would take them to their flight to freedom. Everyone assembled on the steps behind them, some more vocally than others,

"Look, I'm walking lopsided now", Tails complained to Sabre as he clumped forwards, "my left leg's longer than my right".

"Don't worry, you're still in balance", the echidna assured him with a slight smirk, "you're right arm's longer than your left, and you deserved it after that little prank; honestly Tails, I thought you were a bit more mature than that".

"Hey, one reversion to childhood per year's not bad is it?"

"Bad for your health maybe", Sonic interjected, blush still present as he growled at his still unforgiven brother, "you wait until I get you back in Station Square; the paddle is waiting".

"Later" the fox hushed him and pointed to where both newlyweds were now hanging out the hover-car window, Rouge winking at Lara especially as the echidna woman had caught the bouquet she'd thrown completely by accident, the flowers landing in her lap as she sat down, "now's your last run".

"You bet", anger was forgotten as the blue hedgehog winked at his black counterpart, "ready Shads?"

"You bet…now!"

As the car pulled away and gathered speed, the two super speed heroes took off after it, something held between them; they hared up to the rear bumped and slapped hands against it simultaneously, exchanging a high five in the centre of the road, task completed as the banner reading 'Just Married' fluttered in the breeze before vanishing around the corner, cheered on by the exhausted but still jubilant friends and family.

A/N: Yes, all complete! This was originally going to be two chapters, but I couldn't bear to split it. So much KnuxRougeness in one chapter, can it get better? Well, maybe with the new character reappearing next chapter…oops, did I give a cliff-hanger there? Naughty me!


	7. Chapter 7 Reunions Now and Later

Chapter 7 – Reunions Now and Later.

A/N: Some interesting ideas as to who's returning, but I might have to set the record straight here (BTW, glad to see some new faces in the review section :-)):

DHarris (DH from here on in) – Wow, an Aussie! Truly this is an international site, but besides that, maybe you could help me out here: Angel of Darkness and Ice never got many reviews (I posted it all in one lump – never a good plan), so why did you like Seraph as a fancharacter? I'd like to become a full-time writer, so I need to know if my characters are believable; what makes Seraph interesting? Can he be improved at all? Should I let Eggman rise like a phoenix from the Ashes (no, no, bad Dreamer – I'm really, really sorry about that last pun, but please try to see it from a Brit's point of view; last time we won the urn I was still in nappies! Have to say though, Warne was player of the series by a long shot; he and his colleagues are a credit to the sport as a whole. Roll on the Aussie Tour – it'll be a stunner!)

Annebelle – Excellent, you followed the whole series so far! Wow, I'm so happy I've got fans like that – hope to hear from you more soon!

HHH – Heh, the number of times I tried to beg for a late start to school – unfortunately, it never happens. Not such a long wait this time though; hope you like it, and who did you honestly think was coming back (answer in the review please :-))

TH – Um, just an odd point; how do you kinda break a computer?

Sitting down in his battered old armchair behind the counter, Reginald Trenton blew a little steam from the top of his recently brewed coffee, the scent of the mild drink mixing headily with the scent of varnish and old, decent wood; what he liked to call the soul of his business. His father had owned this arts store before him and he'd taken it on in his stead and later, his memory as well, though he had somewhat shifted the focus to suit his own ends; he'd never had the knack of creating the art itself, but the frames, the finishing, there was a skill he had mastered and was held in high regard for.

Reg, as he was known to most of his regular customers, was a man of high standards and fairness, not one to back away from a difficult or taxing job; every piece he mounted and framed was a personal task and a cause for celebration – for that reason, Trenton Frames and Arts was well-patroned throughout Station Square, and a good cadre of potential artists were friends with the elderly owner. _Thinking of age though_; he looked down and flexed his hands, a few twinges of very early arthritis just beginning to set in; Reg smiled grimly as he knew that had been the fate of his father, ultimately denied the craft he loved so much due to his advancing age; _but sixty-three not out's a fair innings_. His smile widened as he light-heartedly thought about what he should do next for the post; he had considered an apprentice, but at the same time was wary of it – supposing he picked the wrong person? He brushed the negative thought aside; obviously he'd have top take a lot of care in grooming any potential successors, but now was not the time for such thoughts as the bell rang its customary note of warning. Hastily hiding his coffee under the desk, Reg reached into his pocket and produced his glasses case, popping it open and placing his spectacles on his face, allowing the large hazy blob now just inside the doorway to come into sharp focus; as it did, the old man stepped smartly off his stool with a joyous cry of greeting, stumping around his counter at the far end of the shop and extending his hand,

"Big my friend, it's been too long".

"Hullo Mr Trenton", the large cat carefully returned the handshake; once more, the human was struck by the softness of the cat's paws – not that he had anything against Mobians, but those he normally had contact with had paw pads like scourers, one reason they wore gloves was to disguise this. Big also wore gloves, but Trenton's sensitive hands, so used to feeling past the visible surface of wood to see if it had a good core, a decent soul, told him with truth that the pads of his irregular customer were flexible and smooth, a fact made all the more remarkable due to the outdoors life Big led. As was his custom, Reg forwent most of the pleasantries and got stuck right into the meet of the issue,

"Well now, what can I do for you Big? It's been a long time hasn't it?"

"I know"; _more than you ever can_; "Mr Trenton, I need…" With a smile, the older man raised a hand and forestalled the cat's request,

"I know what you need Big; what colours, and will you need watercolour or oils?"

"Umm, oils", the Mobian replied after a second's thought before squirming and flattening his ears, admitting a vital, unpleasant truth, "I, er, I don't have any money though".

"You never do Big, and as I tell you every time, money's not an issue here", Reg swiped the air as though troubled by a cloud of midges, "you supply the painting and I'll get the frame; all I want's a picture of the finished piece". Big smiled sadly as he shook his head,

"My portfolio", Reg nodded, "but Mr Trenton, I'll never…"

"Never say never son", the human cut him off sternly before relaxing and taking hold of Big's hand again, "one day, you might decide it's time to bring your gift to the surface; I waited nearly twenty years for a talent like yours Big, and I'll wait another twenty if I have to, until you decide you're ready. Now though, to business", beckoning the cat, Reg clumped over to his desk and brought out an old, leather-backed ledged, leafing through pages so thin through constant rubbing out and pencilling in of dates and events some were nearly transparent. Coming to the place he needed, he took hold of the pencil from the spine and made to take notes, "how often?"

"About every third day". A few words were scribbled down,

"Okay, just give me a few days to set up the spare room for you and order the oils; I'm shy a few shades of red, orange and green. Now, how large?"

"I think about three by two and a half feet should do it". The human turned around, mildly curious,

"Your largest work to date Big; this should be something to see", he scribbled down a few more notes with his unsharpened nub of a pencil before nodding, "right, that should be enough; in a week Big, we'll be ready". The cat nodded, mumbled his grateful thanks and then departed the store, Reg watching him go with a wistful air; _I know you had problems as a child Big, but how long ago were they? Why can't you let them go and let yourself shine?_

XXX

With increasing desperation, Shadow paced up and down the hall once more, jaw set in a determined manner that was still slowly but surely being undermined by a steadily mounting pressure, not helped by the faint but audible sound of a running tap in the background. _I swear he spends longer getting ready than Amy must do_; the black hedgehog upped the ante of his strides, now breaking down into a slight grimace as the battle of attrition took its toll on him. Suddenly, the sound of flowing water was cut off and like a hound at the chase Shadow's head snapped up, desperate for a little good news at last; his ears strained for anything that could help him – he breathed in as there was a footstep, then another and then, like the lock of a prison being broken and setting free the innocent, the handle to the bathroom door tuned and with a rush of warm air, Sonic stepped out. _Blessed relief_; with a blast of wind, Shadow was gone and into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and as such not seeing Sonic's mischievous grin; _evil maybe, but after sneaking out of the washing up last night he deserved it_.

Only fifteen minutes later, the blue hedgehog was finally ready and raring to go; after quickly checking his quills in the mirror, Sonic stepped away and regarded Shadow with his arms outstretched,

"How do I look?" The black hedgehog reeled as though struck with a crow bar as he beheld his friend, gagging at an imaginary stench as he answered,

"Put it this way; if you don't knock her off her feet your cologne certainly will", he pinched his nose of dramatic effect as Sonic smiled shrewdly and folded his arms, "what did you do, marinade yourself in it?"

"Just a quick dab on the cheeks and wrists I'll have you know, but anyway", Sonic changed tack as he realised he needed to be off soon, "I'd better get going; I'll take a few more minutes to get there because it's sod's law if I hurry something'll mess me up and besides that I want to walk Amy to the cinema".

"Show's at seven-thirty right?" Sonic nodded and Shadow tried to do some mental maths without much luck, "when am I likely to see you again?"

"Around ten, maybe half-past, and you should see both of us; Amy's crashing over here for the night to get away from those forms they keep sending her", Sonic informed him, mind railing at the injustice of so many useless bits of paper being sent to his girlfriend in the guise of her trying to prevent her entering the Station Square University, "sometimes I think that must be some kind of screening process; weeds out the ones who can't stick with answering the junk mail".

"In that case Amy's a dead cert; have you ever known her give up at anything?" Sonic shared his flatmate's laugh before Shadow slapped him on the shoulder, "listen, you better get going; have a good night".

"I will; you know you're more than welcome…"

"Three's a crowd" the black hedgehog cut him off before pointing meaningfully at the door; Sonic nodded, tipped him a wink and then let himself out of the flat the two hedgehogs shared, a final goodbye the last thing Shadow heard.

XXX

As always when Sonic wasn't around, the flat somehow seemed smaller, not as full of life and noise as Shadow slid into the kitchen, knowing what he felt like doing now. The black hedgehog felt a brief flicker of gratitude to Tails as he saw his destination, through anger and shame were still present in equal measure, the fact that the fox was their only major source of news about how Knuckles and Rouge were getting on persuaded him to let the foxboy live another day.

On the trip home, before he could be cornered by the two irate hedgehogs and pummelled to oblivion, Tails had made a peace offering to both him and Sonic in exchange for them not nailing him to the roof of his Tornado and sending it on a one-way trip to the great beyond; due to his new friendship with Lara-Le and the fact he now had a fairly regular income that involved continual commuting to Angel Island and back, the fox was able to gain precious news on how the newlyweds had been finding their honeymoon. He was thus exchanging this information for gradual forgiveness after that monstrous embarrassment at the wedding reception; three weeks on and he was still alive, so Shadow reasoned he had to be doing a good job of it.

Recently, and with a great deal of excitement, had been the acquisition of a packet of photographs, sent to Lara by special delivery from her son and passed on to Tails to share with the others. Shadow smiled as he reached down to the draw where the pictures now lay; that must have cost a pretty penny to do – though a couple of businesses now shipped to Angel Island and the resultant echidna population, Tails having proved to be quite the trailblazer in this game, they still weren't all that common and quite expensive for the most part. _Still, I doubt expense is even coming into this holiday_; Shadow smiled as he carefully extracted the collection from where it nestled in one of the kitchen drawers;_ the Brotherhood must have fairly deep pockets, so they should be able to cope with whatever those two get up to_. With that though, and now desperate to see the result of the fox's travels, the ebon hedgehog unfastened the lip of the envelope and took out the first picture, holding it up to the light to get the best view possible.

A smile crossed his lips as he saw Knuckles and Rouge trying to pose in the normal manner, though it looked as though the ski wear was hampering them somewhat in this regard. Somehow, Knuckles didn't look quite as formidable with his spurs hidden by a massive pair of mittens, likewise Rouge didn't give off quite the allure she normally did with her ears and eyes covered in goggles and a large ski hat. Shadow smiled as he drank in the picture, though the nectar was soured suddenly by a realisation as he did so; putting the picture down, the former ultimate life-form sighed as he realised, despite his friends, he was still alone.

_Knuckles and Rouge are married now, Sonic and Amy are going like a steam train, heck even Tails has Cream, even if neither of them will admit it yet_; Shadow was cheered slightly by memories of the fox and rabbit's vehement denials of any kind of feelings beyond friendship, though it was obvious to anyone with half a brain-cell there was a crush there, and a bad one at that. _You don't just randomly build a plane for someone in much the same way to don't invite just a friend to a cute couple's free day at Twinkle Park_; he chortled, then sighed again as he realised he was just delaying the inevitable – his own admission that he lacked that someone special in his life. He recalled Rouge holding him after he said he'd give her away, looking at the memory with fondness and somehow thirsty to be held in such a way again.

Sonic and Amy were always inviting him to go out with them, but he didn't want to intrude on what the two of them had jointly earned, and besides that he didn't want to try anything in front of them in case he made a fool of himself, but that wasn't really an excuse. With an effort, Shadow banished these bad thoughts to behind him and reached forcibly for the next picture, mind steely once more; _well, if I want someone, I'm going to have to get out there and find them – the perfect girl isn't just about to ring me up and ask me_. Of course, at that second the phone rang.

_It's just a coincidence_; Shadow repeated that certainty over and over again, though he couldn't displace the nagging feeling that someone upstairs might have been listening and was now having a secret giggle at his expense. The trilling note continued until, with strangely warm and clammy hands, the black hedgehog picked up the appliance and greeted cautiously,

"Hello?"

Oh, hi"; _oh my God_; the fact it was a woman's voice made Shadow's quills stiffen, until the next words deflated him utterly, "is Sonic there?" _Well, it was a long shot anyway_; Shadow mourned the loss of something he'd only just thought of until the voice in his ear jarred him back to reality,

"Hey, is anyone there?"

"Oh, sorry lost in thought", he apologised before answering, "no, Sonic's not in, but this is his house. I'm his flatmate". He thought he heard a triumphant exclamation on the other end and curiosity prickled him as the other person spoke again, voice now noticeably more excited,

"Okay, is he going to be in later?"

"Yeah, he should be back at about half-ten", he would have asked for a name had the girl not beaten him to the punch,

"Right, could you take a message", Shadow obediently put the conversation on pause as he hunted for a scrap of paper and a pen, "tell him to ring this number when he gets in", a string of numbers followed, Shadow diligently recording each one before speaking,

"Hey, what name should I give?" There was a light-hearted chuckle on the other end,

"Just say dance school; he should know who I am". She hung up, leaving Shadow more confused and more curious than ever before.

XXX

_Dance school_; the two words bounced around in Shadow's head, leaving him unable to rest or think about anything else as he tried to piece together puzzle that had more pieces missing than were actually present. At first, he had been a little worried that the strange caller could have been an old girlfriend but, after trying to weigh up the conversation he'd just had, the ebon hedgehog decided this idea was unlikely; surely any kind of old flame would have given her name, ensured her recognition, rather than a cryptic reference to an old sort of meeting place? That sudden thought of school had set the ball rolling on a different track; this might be an old school friend, trying to make contact with her former friend from her youth, but even so, amusing as the image of Sonic in a leotard or a tutu doubtless was, Shadow couldn't really see his blue friend tripping the light fantastic as a form of education. _Dancing has to be involved_; he tried to logically sum up as much as he could, the conflicting influences and thoughts making his head spin; _but where, and how, and who the heck is she? How come I never asked Sonic about his past, well actually, that's easy – I'm too focussed on trying to get back mine_. Finally, mentally exhausted by chasing the same thoughts in a circle, the former ultimate life-form gave up with a huff and resorted to the desperate act of someone trying to wait patiently; slipping onto the sofa and grabbing the remote, Shadow started channel-flipping, flicking his eyes to the clock occasionally to make sure that time, however agonisingly slowly, was at least passing, bringing his answer ever closer.

XXX

"Sonic, that was the best night I've had in ages; thank you", Amy reached over and squeezed his hand, smiling as he chuckled and quickly moved in, sliding his arm around her shoulder and squeezing, resting his cheek almost on top of her softer head quills,

"Ames, after ploughing through all that tat they keep sending you, you deserve a night off", he chuckled again as the pink hedgehog rolled her eyes, envisioning the mountain that still awaited her in the morning, after her shift at the Quick Stop Shop, "if it were me, I'd have shot someone by now".

"It's not got quite that bad yet, but I've been a bit snappy with Si recently", her face clouded with apprehension as she recalled spitting hasty words at her colleague, the hurt plain on his face as he resisted the urge to snap back; the silence had somehow been worse than if he'd had a slanging match with her, letting her irritableness fester away and nibble her concentration, "I owe him a real apology".

"I'm sure he'll understand", Sonic was conciliatory as he ruffled her hair affectionately, though with a hint of zest he couldn't help but add, "he should know you're a little spitfire after all". The rose rascal scowled up at him before suddenly jumping up and brushing her lips against his; as she landed, she laughed and pointed at the blue hedgehog's sudden blush,

"Well you're on fire, but I didn't do any spitting. Hey, ahh, quit it!" She protested as Sonic gained his revenge by means of the monkey scrub, gently scrubbing the skin of her scalp until she caved in, glaring up at him as she tried to rearrange her hair and he tried to stop sniggering. With a contemptuous snort, she thrust a finger forwards and uttered a command,

"Hey Lothario, I want the door to this dive open, a cup of coffee on the table and

a nice warm pillow to lay my head upon and I want it now". Still high from his victory, Sonic jingled his keys,

"As you command your royal shortness"; Amy cuffed him lightly as he stretched to make the most of their slight high difference before he fitted his key into the lock. _Strange_; the key didn't turn, the door already unlocked; _Shads must still be up and about._ With a shrug, he flipped his key back into his pocket and pushed the door open, holding it for Amy to slip in first. As he followed and pulled the front door to, the hero greeted,

"Hey Shadow, why the stop up?" A split-second pause and the black hedgehog appeared in the doorway to the lounge, television remote still in his hand; Sonic raised his hands in surrender as he pointed it at him directly, "hey, I surrender captain; set that thing down to stun and we'll talk". Amy smiled slightly at the reference before Shadow's tone made both returning Mobians take more note,

"You've had a call Sonic; it's been driving me nuts all night since I took it".

"Right", Sonic ran his tongue over his teeth, trying to think who might possibly call him that Shadow wouldn't know; at the minute nothing was registering and he needed more info, "any idea who it was?"

"Didn't give a name, just asked you to call back", with his eyes trained solely on Sonic's face, Shadow came to the crux of the issue, "and what does the phrase dance school mean to you?"

XXX

Amy looked around, suddenly as interested as Shadow as Sonic's furrowed brow meant he was as confused as they were. She was about to reach out and touch his shoulder, when with alarming speed his eyes widened to almost bulging point, bafflement banished and replaced with the dawning of realisation, a deep, profound truth of sheer exultation,

"No way"; Amy barely the heard the breathed words and assumed Sonic must have been talking to himself before he stood tall, addressing Shadow and demanding with authority, "where's the number?" On cue, a slip of paper was produced and Sonic snatched it up, turning to her in the same movement and looking breathlessly excited as he excused himself,

"Amy, please, bear with me a second, this is huge, if it's really…man". She shooed him forwards with an uncertain hand, stuttering the first words of permission she could find,

"Er, yeah, go, er, go call this…dancer?" With no further ado, Sonic raced into the hall and swept the phone up, tapping the keypad and lowering the receiver to his ear, every motion of his body trembling in anticipation. She and Shadow both watched as Sonic waited poised, then stiffened, a single tremor running through his body, tip of the tongue wetting suddenly dry lips as he spoke down the phone,

"Is this who I think it is?"

Watching half of a conversation normally isn't too enlightening as you miss most of the relevant points and only get half a picture; however, when the half the conversation you get comes from Sonic Hedgehog, the half picture can still prove very illuminating, especially when he jumped a foot vertically and punched the air,

"Yes, all right; how the heck you doing girl? I haven't seen you in flippin' years; what's happening?" Two glances were exchanged as the performance hit a relative quiet period, Sonic apparently listening hard to what the other person was saying, until with a jolt he spoke again, excited almost beyond coherency,

"You serious?" He had the phone held so tight to his ear he was almost certain to have an imprint as he reached for the pen, snatching it up and scribbling down, "right, when is it? Sweet as; listen, don't book a hotel, or a motel, or anything like that, there's a room here for you", the blue hedgehog's gaze flicked to Shadow for a fleeting instant before his voice carried on, "yeah that was Shadow, don't worry, he'll be cool with it. A week and a half – counting the minutes already. Right, okay, looking forwards already, see you, bye". With a care that forsook the recent frenzy, Sonic very carefully replaced the receiver with something like reverence; once it was back in its proper place, however, that was a different story.

XXX

"Reckon we aught to try and get some sense out of him yet?" Amy joked half-seriously, nodding her head at the capering, celebrating Sonic as Shadow was forced to concede a reluctant smile,

"Since when has Sonic ever made sense, but you're right", he amended hastily as a thin piece of wood covered in hearts hove into the edge of vision, "I'm as desperate to know as you are; hey Sonic". At the shout, the blue blur reined in his celebrations with a visible effort, slowing his celebration to a crawl even if he couldn't wipe the smile off his face, even when Amy folded her arms,

"You want to explain who that was? And since when have you ever been a dancer?" Taking a deep breath and putting his hands on his hips, Sonic visibly calmed down and spoke, the undercurrent of excitement still tangible in his voice,

"Right, okay, you guys need an explanation; sorry but that, wow, bolt from the blue or what", he smiled again as the other two Mobians swapped glances, "that was someone who I haven't seen for, blimey, nearly ten years now, and yes, we met at a dance school", he held up a hand to stall questions, smiling at the memories as he filled his friends in, "it was one of those summer workshop things; we were the only two Mobians there and, well, everyone else was a bit too tall for us to work with, so it was a case of buddy up or flounder. We got on pretty well and learned a fair bit; when it was all over, we split up – I never thought I'd heard from her again and…"

"Wait", Amy cut him off, an almost challenging look in her eye as she drew herself up, "she?"

"Yeah, she was", Sonic saw the problem and chuckled, holding out his hand palm upwards and explaining, "Ames, we were about eight at the time; nothing went on beyond a bit of ballet". Shadow snickered in the background as Amy smiled, looking a little abashed even as she read in Sonic's eyes no offence had been taken and he finished,

"…and she just rang me", he chortled, amazed at how sometimes things just worked out right; _of all the numbers she finds, she gets me_; hw shook himself and turned to Shadow now, mock-stern, "so listen up you; no bringing home any ladies after the next week and a half, we're having a guest for a little while". Shadow blinked as Amy gasped and exclaimed,

"She's coming to Station Square?"

"Yeah, she's got an interview here soon, so least I can do is offer her a place to kip for the night; I'd better mark it on the calendar", Sonic stamped his feet in childish impatience, "ohh, I can't wait!"

"Um, just a sec here", Shadow raised a finger, brow knitted as he smiled weakly; this had moved a bit too fast for him to be entirely comfortable with, "she got a name, this girl who we're going to be house-sharing with soon?"

Sonic stopped for a second, as thought the question had failed to sink in at first, then, as though catching up with the black hedgehog's words, sniggered a little,

"yeah, her name's Michelle but", the sniggers matured into gentle chuckling, "I wouldn't call her that; what it is with names beginning with M?"

"What do we call her then; Shelly?"

"No", Sonic shut him off vehemently, "that would be your first and probably last mistake; she's a bit touchy on that subject". Amy raised an eyebrow,

"What is she, a turtle?"

"And that would be your second, equally fatal error", Sonic shook his head before filling them in, "she's an armadillo, and if you're going to call her anything call her Mighty; trust me you'll understand when you meet her". Against that logic, all Shadow and Amy could do was swap curious glances and nod, inwardly almost dreading by what Sonic had meant by that last statement.

XXX

In the pitch black, with no light at all present for risk of activating the crude security system, the team worked hard to achieve their mission. His mechanical eye configured to see in the infra-red spectrum, Kragok tapped the micro-bead in his ear and listened to the grating voice report,

"It is done lord; the defences are down. You may proceed without risk". Checking his internal chronometer, the second in command of the Dark Legion snarled back coldly,

"Thirteen point two seconds behind schedule Jari; I shall be consulting your immediate superiors about this. Out". Cutting the transmission before the tedious explanations could begin, Kragok strode through the now opening portal to where the prize lay, the information his sister had inadvertently hacked from the world below leading them to this new avenue of exploration. His mental map of the target zone was clear and unfettered by doubt; Kragok arrived on schedule, the transmitter for the teleportation beam held in his steel claw as he located the object he had been sent to retrieve. Standing before it, brief emotion flickering for a second, he brushed his hand over the cell, noting the official designation of Evidence: B12221.

_So alike we are_; he had read the mission briefing well as was his custom – much as it jarred him to feel attachment to anything, Kragok couldn't help but sympathise with this weapon; _fettered by those afraid to use our power fully_. With a shake of his head, he thrust these aside and returned to the mission; he was to attach the teleport homer and then move his team out, leaving everything as it was. With luck the theft would go unnoticed, and a weapon powerful enough to turn the tide of the war with the guardians would be in the hands of the Dark Legion. _As it still would had Dimitri merely…_; he caught himself – he must not think such thoughts, they only served to fester his indignation at being denied his true purpose, the role he knew he must play. Instead, he carefully placed the metal disk onto the side of the containment capsule with a dull clunk, the thrill of capturing this new power translating into the knowledge that would be his when the time came. _The Legion will prosper_; he thought as the air shimmered, the cell disappearing before his eyes as a grim, cold smile edged onto his face; _once the obstacles are removed from my path, Angel Island shall know true release._

A/N: Okay, as you have hopefully all gathered, in my fics, Mighty's a girl! Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase Girl Power (Author nods knowingly at TH), but then again why not – it always struck me that girls can be as rough and tough as boys (it often struck me quite literally now I think about it…). She's coming back next chapter, and the machinations of the Dark Legion become slightly clearer…

P.S. – This is a bit cheeky, but could someone try this out for me. I can't draw to save my life, but if there are any artists or Deviant-artists out there, could you please, **_PLEASE_**, draw the photo Tails took of Knuckles' stag night, and the reactions to it at the wedding? I've just got such a picture in my head, I really want to see if I'm getting the idea across well enough, plus who doesn't like to see Sonic, Knuckles and Shadow embarrassed every once in a while :-)?


	8. Chapter 8 Up Close and Personal

Chapter 8 – Up Close and Personal.

A/N: Please forgive my single moment of celebration; **YAHOOOOOOOO!** A Bloodstone Rose just gained over a hundred reviews! And I owe it all you guys:

HHH – Thanks for taking on the challenge; if you want a shot of Thunderhawk, log onto Google and search for Sonic HQ, he'd be in the character bios. Drop me a line when it's done, I'll be very impressed as I can barely tell one end of a pencil from the other (God bless computers and their spell-checkers!)

DH – Thanks for the Seraph feedback – I think you agreed with me on most of the points; I didn't want a 'nice' fancharacter in the same way I didn't want him to be a stereotypical villain, so I tried to make him unique. The fact that you can never tell exactly why he's doing anything (he works for himself and his code alone) keeps you on your toes. Brilliant, just what I wanted him to do; now I need to do his songfic…

Rewind Gone Nuts (RGN from now on) – Wow, another Aussie (DH above is Australian as well); obsidian dreamer is going international :-). Thanks for following the series so far and for the 'marsupial' correction, though I have to say if Knuckles lays an egg, something's gone wrong somewhere alone the line…

Ri2 – Hey, welcome back; good to hear from you again. Glad you enjoyed A Bloodstone Rose and I hope the bachelor party goes down a storm as well.

TH – Do I really want to know how you broke the keyboard? And has the replacement arrived yet?

The trilling of the phone shook Tails from where he was checking the oil of his plane; thankfully, long experience of such abrupt interruptions meant he didn't bang his head on the raised hood as he once might have done. Slowly and carefully, well aware that more haste meant he could easily knock something important out of sync, the fox removed his torso from the interior of his beloved plane and then jogged to the phone, sweeping it up with his right hand as his left snagged the pencil from the pad immediately beside the appliance, speaking as he did so,

"Hello?"

"Hey bro"; _Sonic – this shouldn't be too important_; the kit replaced his pencil and spoke more freely, realising this wasn't going to be a business call,

"Hey Sonic, how's everything going?"

"Well I had a call last might that made everything sweet; remember a long time ago I told you about a girl I used to know, Mighty?" That was a toughie; even Tails had to struggle to recall the vague references Sonic had made of his life before they met and bonded,

"Yeah, kind of; wasn't there something about singing and dancing to do with it, and didn't you say she was strong?"

"Yeah I did but listen, how'd you like to find this out for yourself?"

"I don't follow"; _Sonic's up to something, could be a trick – he's still not over that little indecent exposure_; "what are you up to?"

"The call I had was from her; she's coming to Station Square in about a week and a half, something about a job interview. Have you got anything planned next Thursday?" Tails leafed through the phone pad, skimming it for any engagements he might have pencilled in before shaking his head,

"Not really, only a charter flight but that's not been confirmed yet, I can always rearrange", he chuckled slightly before confiding in his brother, "you know, when I started up, I thought all the echidnas here were going to be as stubborn and demanding as Knuckles, but they're actually a fairly easy going bunch – trust us to get the odd one hey?" As he'd expected, Sonic laughed with him,

"Knuckles probably thinks the same thing, but listen, get here with the Tornado in the morning and we'll be at the airport for about eleven thirty – her flight's due in at noon; that cool".

"Like an Eskimo's fridge; see you then if not before", Tails grinned shyly before going for it, "listen, I'm driving you around; could we say this favour cancels out the wedding…Sonic, hello, ah well, it was a long shot I guess". With a rueful smile, the fox replaced the phone and headed back to his plane, his smile growing into it matured into a full laugh; _and they haven't even checked to see if I've deleted the photo yet! Bribery could so easily be mine_.

XXX

With a rumble, the Tornado pulled up smartly in the parking space Tails had picked out for it; even as he was jerking the handbrake up, there was a click and a draft of cold air from next to him as Sonic had thrown off his seatbelt and legged it towards the parking meter. As Amy removed herself from the back of the Tornado, Sonic hammered back to the car pell-mell, slapping the ticket on the inside of his brother's still open door, causing the fox to dart his head backwards,

"Watch it will you", he rubbed the end of his snout, glaring at the hedgehog, "you nearly took my nose off".

"Nah, there was a clear inch in it", Sonic informed him before grinning slyly; before Tails was really aware what was going on, the blue blur had pinched his nose between two fingers and flicked it hard with his other hand, laughing, "this is taking your nose off!"

"Oww", the fox clapped his hands over his sore spot as Sonic snapped his hands back, chuckling as Tails glared at him; the mirth subsided, however, as Amy waded in to deliver a well-deserved clip around the ears to her boyfriend, berating him,

"Apologise for that now you; Tails has been good enough to take us all here to see your friend and all you do is tease him. Say sorry". Luckily, after his experience with Lara-Le, Sonic had learned enough to know not to try any back-chat, merely flattening his ears and looking meekly at his brother,

"Sorry Tails, I don't know what came over me…"

"The same thing that came over Knuckles I bet", the fox answered contemptuously as he crossed his arms and looked scornful; he let it lay that way for a few seconds, enough to see doubt that maybe he had pushed things a little too far surface in his brother's eyes before smiling and offering his hand, "come on, enough of this; of all people I know you can't sit still when you're excited". With a sigh of relief, the blue hedgehog shook before, acting on impulse, tugged and pulled Tails in close, hugging the younger fox tightly as he chuckled,

"Someone up there was looking down when I found a young fox called Miles Prower; if it were anyone else they'd have strangled me by now, I know for a fact Knuckles would've".

"I can see his reasons sometimes", Tails answered as he reciprocated the brotherly embrace; Amy watched on with interest and pricked her ears as Tails leaned in closer to Sonic's ear – she just about heard the words of, "but if you were dead, I wouldn't be able to watch you squirm as much; I've got a picture I bet Mighty'll just die to see. Ahh, wait, nohohoho, I was kiheheheheding!" Amy shook her head as the fox suddenly writhed, trying to worm his way out of the sudden bear hug Sonic crushed him with and was now administering his own form of justice from the threat,

"If you dare", the blue hedgehog's voice was full of menace even as Tails hammered on his arms, desperate to get away from the tickling hands, "I will personally make sure you are given the thrashing of your life, then I'll hand you over to Shadow, got it?" Tails couldn't talk too well, just managing to nod and earn his freedom, breathing deeply as Sonic delivered his victory pose before Amy's voice cut in on him,

"And I guess I'm just here to make up the numbers", she said sniffily, her back to the pair of them and arms crossed. Sharing a glance, both men shook their heads before Sonic slid up behind the pink hedgehog and loosely put his arm around her shoulder.

"Amy", he purred softly in her ear, seeing with fatalistic joy a slow, steady smile creep across her face, "you know that from now on you'll never be just a friend". He leaned in and Tails looked away casually as there was a light smacking noise and Amy giggled; when he looked back around, Sonic was standing tall, the noise of a plane beginning its descent making his ears quiver, eyes glowing with excitement as he turned towards the entrance to the airport terminal.

XXX

_Only seven minutes or so to go_; his guided eyes glued themselves to the arrivals board and he clenched a fist in relief as Mighty's flight was on schedule. He had thought about what he wanted to say to her, the introductions he should make after such a long time apart; would they still get on as well as they had when they were children now they had, more or less in his case, grown up? He furrowed his brow in consternation; somehow, all of last night's thoughts and memories had contrived to get all lost and confused, scattered like leaves by the gale of his excitement; it looked like he was going to have to wing it. _Oh well_; as zero hour approached and he watched the clock count down, a smile bloomed on his face as his inherent nervousness of meeting this familiar stranger was slowly overcome by longing for the prospect; _thinking on my feet's always been one of my strengths_.

Tails felt a knock on his shoulder and looked up from where he'd been watching the latest arrivals depart; from here it was a real struggle to see anyone with any degree of accuracy, especially Mobians as their generally smaller frames were crowded out by the larger milling humans. He flicked his eyes upwards to see Sonic looking at him hungrily,

"Could you give me a lift?"

"What?" Tails didn't understand this request, thinking the hedgehog was referring to the Tornado parked outside; seeing confusion and realising he could have explained that better, Sonic shook his head and explained,

"Lift me up; we can't see a thing from down here and a birds-eye view's perfect for spotting in a crowd. Come on, do me a favour". Tails folded his arms and shook his head,

"After what happened out there; not a chance". _Not like I wasn't expecting this_; Sonic played his ace,

"Do it, and we're quits", he pressed on as his brother's eyes widened alarmingly, not registering the offer or daring to believe it had been made, "the whole photo thing, forgotten, water under the bridge, done and dusted, just as long as you don't go flashing it around any more, cool?"

"You bet", relishing the chance to be free of that millstone around his neck, the kit rose swiftly upwards, Sonic jumping and clasping hands with the ease another might breathe, the actions so familiar they were second nature as he allowed himself to be whisked up higher, see what was around, scanning the area for the black shell he could remember so well. Tails held him steady, allowing him to see clearly; almost magnetically, he was drawn to the left, near the baggage carousel; relief and apprehension washed through him as he locked onto his target.

"Down Tails, quick please"; the altitude dropped alarmingly, though Sonic never knew a flicker of doubt as he'd had far faster descents than this with his brother; heck, Tails was going slow because there were so many people around. Amy shimmied to one side as his feet dropped down and touched the floor; he shucked his hands from his brother's wrists and swivelled to face where he needed to go; just from his pose and posture Amy knew the answer even as she asked the question,

"You see her?"

"Wait here guys; I'll bring her to you". With that Sonic was gone, leaving Tails and Amy to simply wait, knowing his idea was the best as, to them, this Mighty character was a complete stranger.

XXX

Sonic weaved through the crowd, dodging people and baggage cars as he homed in on his goal. The crowd was thickening as he drew nearer, the press of people almost seeking to dissuade his goal as they reached for their bags and as a consequence hampered his progress. He forged on though, dropping his pace as circumstances dictated and speeding up in fits and starts when he could. Suddenly a gap formed ahead of him and he stumbled to a halt, the breath catching in his throat as he saw his old friend, for it had to be her, for the first time in just under a decade. Standing with her back to him, Mighty Armadillo was stood waiting for her luggage, unaware of his presence.

For a second he was still; the vision had triggered off so many memories that had lay dormant, not forgotten as he had thought – he merely relaxed and let them all flow to him. Like the dances they had shared together, the joyous recollections waltzed and quick-stepped through his mind; the times they'd lain together, the laughter, the occasional tears as one or other had suffered a bad day but mostly the talking, the words they'd shared; _and of course_; Sonic licked his lips and waited for his sudden blush to abate; _the kiss as well_. He had to stand still, much as he would have liked to do otherwise; he recalled her virtual imperviousness to embarrassment and therefore logically concluded that greeting her with a red face wouldn't be a good way to start – if nothing else she might prove as haranguing as Tails at his best. He touched his face with his fingers; _well, that's as good as it's going to get_; with a determined shrug of his shoulders, Sonic stepped forwards, keeping his footsteps light as not to alert her – tentatively, he reached out and, screwing up his courage, tapped her shoulder.

XXX

The hollow knocking sound his fingertips made on the hard, almost horn-like shell echoed dully as she stiffened and slowly turned around; Sonic kept his eyes front as Mighty completed her turn, bringing them face to face for the first time since childhood. For a long second, both were silent, neither able to find the words, before at last Sonic, tongue still cloven to the roof of his mouth, saw her lips twitch and listened intently to the words of his friend,

"Sorry, do I know you?"

Overwhelming, all-consuming embarrassment smashed him down; his blush burned with renewed, unabated vigour as he screwed his eyes shut; of course, he hadn't given it a thought, it had never crossed his mind that this armadillo might not actually be Mighty. _Going on memory's a bad idea_; swallowing an uncomfortable lump in his throat – the Mighty he remembered had probably changed so much, he'd just seen the first Mobian that looked vaguely close and taken the bull by the horns; _and now the consequences have to be faced_. Keeping his head down and his eyes averted, the hedgehog mumbled,

"Sorry, I thought you were someooowhhhaooaahh!" There'd had been a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision but he couldn't react in time; before he'd really cottoned on an arm had snaked around his neck and spun him round, snapping him in tight; as soon as he felt the fist rubbing the top of his head he knew he'd been caught out like a good one. With a chuckle from behind, he was set free, spinning and automatically clamping his hands on top of his stinging scalp; he needed them to beat out the fire that was raging atop his head like a lighthouse beacon at the same time he glared open-mouthed at the perpetrator of such an underhand sneak attack,

"Ow, you cheating little rock-backed git". The armadillo laughed, looking so much like the girl of his memories now she was smiling and joking, pointing at him with the grin he remembered so well as she exclaimed,

"I've been waiting years to do that", without another word she drew her arms apart; Sonic echoed the gesture, his own grin now firmly in place as they embraced hard, him pounding her shell at the same time as trust her not to smash his ribs like kindling; just from the look of her it was obvious her strength had matured as she had.

"I let you get that one in", he declared, turning his head as she kissed his cheek in greeting, letting her reach his other cheek without too much effort, "enjoy it, it was the first, last and only time you'll ever get me like that".

"That so – we'll see"; she set him back on the floor, eyes almost a mirror of his own in both size and colour burning bright with joy at the reunion; _and introductions!_; without another thought, Sonic took her hand and pumped it up and down, speaking at the same time, his words a clear and clipped order,

"Get your gear girl – I've got some friends over here who are just dying to meet you".

XXX

She felt Tails paw at her arm and glanced down, just in time to follow his finger and see Sonic approach; looking to her boyfriend's left, Amy Rose got her first good look at Mighty Armadillo.

Her first impression was the same one most people received; that Mighty was a very apt name for her indeed. She was somewhere between Sonic and herself in height, kind of a mid-point between the two hedgehogs, but even if she wasn't as tall as Sonic, she more than made that up by looking at least twice as wide. It was only when she came a little closer that Amy realised at least some of that broadness was a myth, perpetuated by the natural armour that clamped around her back and sides, the shell of her species bulking her out and giving the impression of the armadillo being wider and heavier than she actually was. _But then again_; Amy searched her partner's friend's face and something struck her almost immediately; _nature takes with one hand and gives with the other_.

The shell shadowed Mighty's face like a permanent hood, casting her forehead into shadow and seeming to lower her brow, simultaneously giving an image of low intelligence and making her eyes seem deep set, reinforcing the lie Amy could see was disproved by the rest of the armadillo's features. She wasn't particularly attractive, but her face was strong and most importantly, her eyes were smiling, capable of affection; she could see it crackling away like a merry fire as she joked with Sonic. Altogether, Amy had the impression of a woman who gave off mixed signals through no fault of her own; from her partially shrouded face and, Amy glanced down at the gap between Mighty's pale green tank top and the belt of her matching shorts as well as her bulging arms and legs, very obvious physique, you'd be forgiven for thinking at the armadillo was little more than muscle. But the eyes gave that away as false; there was capacity for great emotion and a deep sense of humour; the fact she was chatting away so amiably to Sonic proved that beyond all doubt. As Sonic pointed them out, she waved back a little nervously as their course altered rapidly and increased speed.

XXX

Tails looked up, trying to give a friendly smile even as he had to swallow his apprehension; at this range, he was getting uncomfortably familiar with the fact that anywhere he could reasonably look without appearing rude was covered with muscle. _Crikey, not even Knuckles had arms like those_; Tails had to visibly shake himself to kick-start his thoughts again; _go for the eyes – just look there and it'll all be fine_. As he raised his head to see her face, he heard a full voice query,

"I take it you're Tails?" She preformed the normal flicker of the eyes to his tails and then looked once more at him, smiling deeply before moving forwards; Tails didn't even bother to try and resist as she casually picked him off the floor with a gentle hug,

"You poor thing", he felt a light pressure and a low smack on his cheek that served to snap him back to reality; _is she kissing me?_ His face burned up as she repeated the trick on his other cheek and finished, "Sonic as a brother, my heart bleeds for you".

"Hey" a disgruntled hedgehog cut in as Mighty chuckled and set the younger Mobian back down, beaming as he at last found his tongue, the greeting serving to chip away some of his apprehension,

"Ah, he's not all that bad", Tails defended before smiling back at her, "at least he makes life interesting".

"Interesting; I suppose that's one way of putting it", Mighty smiled sweetly at Sonic before her attention shifted and she spoke again, "okay, I can understand you bush-whacked a young, impressionable fox and somehow convinced him you were a good role-model, but how on earth did you manage to find someone like this little jewel?" she asked, Amy feeling a little abashed at the flattery even as Sonic answered,

"Oi you, I'll have you know Amy found me, of her own free will as well". The armadillo looked agog, turning to face Amy with her eyes wide and shocked,

"You can, put up with Sonic? My lord, how do you do it – please sensei, teach me all you know; I never learned in the time I knew him, what's the secret?" _I thought so_; Amy thought even as she chuckled at the other Mobian's obvious exaggeration; _there's a sense of humour in there, and probably more besides._ Trying to sound official and cover her grin, the pink hedgehog replied even as she leaned in for what must have been how Mighty greeted everyone she counted as a friend; lips brushed against cheeks as she said,

"You build up a tolerance over time; start in small doses and work up from there. From what he told us you were thrown in right at the deep end – it's a miracle your sanity survived at all". The two boys shook their heads, Sonic with a regretful smile as he crossed his arms and tapped a foot,

"If you're quite done insulting me?" Mighty and Amy shared a glance; at an unspoken agreement, the armadillo let moved up and put a hand on the hedgehog's shoulder, smiling as she answered,

"Sonic old mate, I haven't even got warmed up yet". His answering smile was toxic; with one move he'd jabbed his hand into her exposed armpit, forcing her to jump back with a bark of shock as he beamed,

"Go for it shelly; just remember not to give more than you can take".

"You'd be a trampled heap on the deck before I'd even broken a sweat".

"You have to catch me first; you can't hit what you can't see". Mighty bounced on the balls of her feet, bringing her arms into a guard as she shadow-boxed for a second,

"Ali; the greatest of all – brilliant man in the ring", just as quickly as she'd started, she dropped her arms and checked the clock on the side of the airport with a hint of panic, "oh nuts; listen, not wanting to sound rushed or anything, my job view's in a couple of hours and I need…"

"Say no more; Tails, let's roll" Sonic cut her off with a raised hand as he smiled at his brother, "this lady has a date to keep and you've got the wheels". The fox flipped his keys onto his finger as Mighty, twigging as to what must be going on, looked at him anew with goggled eyes,

"Wait, you can drive?" Without hesitation, the fox delivered his patented comeback to such disbelief,

"I can fly too, but I really think a car would work better here; come on, it's outside". Secretly loving the look of dumbstruck awe on the armadillo's face, Tails headed for the parking lot as Mighty found herself being filled in by Amy.

XXX

Tails' pride at having come back at someone cleanly lasted until he saw what had happened to the Tornado in his absence. Or more precisely, what had happened to space around it while he'd been gone.

"Oh man", the kit raised his eyes to the heavens as though as king the almighty for an answer, "is there no-one in this city who can actually park properly?" He shook his head in disgust as he saw the pale blue sports number that had pulled up next to his jeep had left him all of a half-foot to open the driver door; _another handbrake vault for me then_.

"What's up bro?" Sonic joined them and whistled as he followed the fox's irritable jerk of the head, "wow, it must take precision to get that close and not scratch anything".

"Tell me about it" he answered shortly, clicking off the locks by remote and heading for the passenger side until a voice stopped him, even if it wasn't aimed at him,

"Hey Mighty", the armadillo looked up as Sonic pointed at the Tornado, "that's the ride; Tails built it with his own hands; what do you think?"

With something akin to reverence, the older Mobian stepped forwards and regarded first the jeep mode of the morphing car, then the one who had created it; Tails felt a triumphant flush as her shocked eyes conveyed deep respect and awe at such an achievement.

"This is yours?"

"You bet", he said with more than a touch of pride; somehow even the discomfort he'd have to take on in a second seemed less ominous in the face of such obvious appreciation, "just a sec and I'll bring it out for you". Finally tearing her eyes away from the magnificent machine, the armadillo saw the problem and smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder to stall his approach as she set her travel bags down,

"Hold your horses Tails, I'll handle this", the fox looked at his two hedgehog friends, they were looking a little bemused as well as she moved and carried on talking, "I used to car-share with people at my old job and we had this problem all the time; I did this so often people called me the crane". To answer the unanswered questions, the armadillo bent her knees slightly and slid one hand under the bumper before straightening up.

Tails watched with undisguised fascination as the armadillo he'd only just met casually lifted the top half of the car with one hand and slowly paced to the side, freeing up the drivers door before she carefully set it down. Turning, Mighty wasn't entirely surprised to see Tails and Amy looking gob-smacked, Sonic at least mildly impressed as she beamed,

"What, you think people call me Mighty for fun?" With a laugh, she opened one of the rear doors and crouched inside, calling the others, "come on; I'm running a tight schedule here".

XXX

Shadow heard the door knock gently and quickly heaved himself out of his chair, moving to the door and clicking it open; to his not complete surprise, there was someone he had only ever spoken to waiting for him. He looked her up and down and Mighty, it just had to be her from her species and the massive shell that hugged her back, did the same to him; she must have finished her inspection fractionally before he did as she spoke before he did,

"Shadow; that is you isn't it?"

"Yeah, we spoke earlier", he reminded her unnecessarily, a little confused by her forthright manner as he tried to compare her to Amy and Rouge, the only other females he had any real contact with, only to find comparison impossible as she smiled and suddenly rushed forwards; he found himself suddenly in her arms and kissed on both cheeks. _Whoa, hold the phone_; as his shocked mind reeled, he found himself deposited back on the deck, only just able to catch his balance and watch open-mouthed as Mighty strolled into the hallway as though she owned the place, commenting as she did so,

"Nice digs", she nodded in appreciation before looking at the staring hedgehog once more, "my room's at the end yeah?" Still beyond the power of speech, the former ultimate life-form managed to nod and whistling happily, Mighty bent down to retrieve her set down bags, strode down the hallway and opened the door with her foot. Shadow watched her go, shaking his head slightly in disbelief, only stopping when he heard the patter of feet behind him and swivelled to see Amy stood by his side. The pink hedgehog must have guessed what had gone on and chuckled,

"Don't panic, I think that's just the way she is". At last, he managed to mentally link up with his tongue once more,

"Well, she's, er, she's something and that's for sure", the black hedgehog massaged his forehead with a pair of fingers, smiling slightly as something else reminded him of its inevitability, "and she's staying here how long?"

"As long as she needs", Sonic interposed himself on this conversation sternly, lowering his voice as Tails followed him, pivoting to lock the Tornado by means of his infra-red key beam, "I know she can be a little OTT, but that's how she deals with nerves; she can get a bit shy with people. Just ride it out, she's really cool once you get to know her".

"Really useful as well I'll bet", Tails chipped in, elaborating as his older friends looked down at him, "you saw her with that car; I could use someone like that to help with the heavy lifting". Amy raised an eyebrow,

"She's looking for a job as a forestry consultant, not a living forklift; she moved a car one-handed, but she's always been stronger than most even when she was a kid, she told us on the drive here. I bet the fitness she does helps too".

"Not much I don't think", Sonic smiled recollectively as he corrected his girlfriend, "she was always like that, just like I was always faster than everyone else; maybe that's why we got on so well, we're both a bit unusual. She probably does all that fitness for a joke; you all saw she doesn't need it. But anyway", he clapped his hands and returned to the matter, setting his eyes on Amy as he realised thought they were actually a little ahead of their predictions, it was still going to be a little bit of a squeeze to manage their plan fully, "she's on a schedule and so are we; ready to rock and roll?"

"You bet"; the pink hedgehog jumped into his arms; as he made sure he was supporting her as much as was possible, he turned to the remaining two Mobians and made sure they were well aware of their roles, "right, Tails, got the route to this place set?" The fox winked and jerked his thumb to the Tornado,

"Marked it down last night; should take me about forty minutes if the roads are good".

"Nice one bro; Shads, you're…"

"Way ahead of you", the black hedgehog smiled as Sonic looked on a little amazed, "went out while you were all gone; everything's set up for a really good night".

"Sweet", unable to clap his counterpart on the shoulder Sonic settled for the next best thing and gave a cramped thumbs-up, "win lose or draw, we're making sure Mighty doesn't forget Station Square in a hurry; second on the left" he called down the hall, seeing Mighty emerge from what was now her bedroom with a toiletry bag in one hand and what looked like a covered suit in the other.

"Thanks Smurf"; with that, the door to the bathroom was quickly opened and the armadillo was lost from view once more – Sonic shook his head as he resisted the urge to blush at being reminded of _that_ old nickname. Before anyone with either an extra limb or a fairly serious underlying mental forgetfulness problem could pounce, the blue blur took off with Amy in his arms, heading for her apartment so she could get ready for her work. Tails had shut his eyes at the sudden rush of wind and, realising his target had vanished, smacked his fist into his palm and grumbled,

"Dammit, so close; that's a peach and no mistake". Shadow chuckled and stepped to the side, ushering the fox into his shared apartment as the sounds of the shower being activated filtered through from the bathroom,

"Don't sweat it foxboy; after all, we've got all this evening to have some fun with him. Fancy a drink?" Realising he had a short break before his next errand the pilot was keen to take up that offer and share some chat with his friend.

XXX

Sonic breezed to a halt outside Amy's apartment block and let her slip to the floor; he dogged her footsteps up to her home as she fumbled for her key, talking over her shoulder as she did so,

"Okay, I'll be ready in about five minutes and it's fifteen until my shift starts, we should make that shouldn't we?" There was a deafening silence from behind her and she realised her mistake quickly; as she snapped her key home in its lock, she apologised,

"Sorry, that was a dumb thing to say; what I meant was can we make it in time for me to do a spot of shopping on the way?" Sonic shook his head and sighed at her apparent hopelessness; for some reason he could only guess at, Amy still underestimated his top speed; _and now, time for me to take advantage of that_;

"That depends", he spoke casually as she disappeared into her room, reaching for the uniform of the Quick Stop Shop she'd laid out in the morning to make sure of a quicj getaway when she'd met the mysterious Mighty her boyfriend had mentioned, "what's in it for me?" As she pulled her shirt up over her head, Amy smiled ruefully; _guess I walked into this one – only one way out_;

"How about, I do the cooking when we're all in together tonight?" She thought she heard a gasp of mingled surprise and excitement, though as she was occupied with taking her stud out of her ear she couldn't be sure. There was no mistaking his answer in words though,

"Where did you want to go again; I'm sure we can get there with minutes to spare". Laughing, Amy threw open her door and slapped the blue hedgehog on the back, grinning as she hustled for the door,

"A man's heart lies through his stomach, and you've always had a big heart Sonikku", she locked her door as Sonic resisted the urge to deliver a snappy comeback on the grounds she might withdraw her offer, waiting as patiently as was possible for him as she locked her door, "okay, done; the shops in the mall; you get an extra chilli-dog per store; there's seven up for grabs".

"If I didn't know better I'd think you were trying to fatten me up kid" Sonic teased lightly as she stuck her tongue out at his exaggerated overconfidence; without further talking, she moved forwards and jumped once more, Sonic catching her as though fielding a rugby pass and taking off, heading for her employment with all haste.

XXX

With a click and rush of moist, warm air, the bathroom door opened and Mighty stepped out, not looking anything like the armadillo who'd met up with an old friend at the airport barely more than an hour ago. Tails especially was struck by how much she'd managed to tone down her otherwise intimidating appearance, the powder blue shirt and bulky jacket hiding most of the muscle racks that covered her arms and abdomen. The matching trousers were shapely and complimentary to her stocky build, though, Tails noticed with a pang of regret for her sake, there was very little she could do about the negative impact of her overhanging shell on her face; the make-up she'd used was fairly minimal, almost as if she was aware of how much this could hinder her and had long ago accepted this was one area she couldn't do anything to help herself.

With a sudden jolt, the fox realised he'd just been looking into the armadillo's eyes; everything he'd just seen about her face, he could read from there. _That's not fair_; Tails was well aware of the importance of first impressions, his own experience of having his extra tail illuminating this point for both good and ill; _from what I've seen so far, she's a really nice person to know and she's not half-sharp, but I bet loads of people take one look and think she's dumb because of her shell._ He saw her lips flicker into a weary smile, aware that just as he was seeing into her thoughts and ideas, likewise she was with him; for a minute fox and armadillo let their eyes link, reading from each other before Mighty broke the contact, lifting her face and asking generally,

"So, how do I look, and be honest?"

"Fine", Shadow answered quickly, standing up and examining her from every angle as he slowly paced around the armadillo's ensemble, "as far as I can tell, you'll knock their socks off when you step in there".

"I sure hope so; I'd hate to have to do it literally" she joked weakly, though Tails could see the self-doubt present; she was still understandably nervous about what she was getting herself into as the time of her interview loomed ever larger.

Tails saw her face suddenly set and realised this was it; she wanted to go now before her nerve broke and he had to oblige her. Reaching for the Tornado keys, the fox gave her a nod,

"Okay Mighty, let's get this show on the road"; without giving her an opportunity to argue, he headed for the door and held it for her, watching her muster her courage and follow him, breathing deeply and slowly to offset her last-minute jitters. As she cross3ed the threshold and exited the building, Shadow followed to offer some support,

"Just relax; I'm sure it'll all be fine – go in and do the best you can, you can't do any more than that". Before she swung the door shut, he almost thought he saw a fleeting smile touch the armadillo's lips, though he couldn't be entirely sure as the entrance was closed in front of him, denying a clear look as the last two of his friends left him to prepare for their return.

Only thirty minutes later, the traffic behaving much better than even Tail's most optimistic estimates, the Tornado pulled into the parking lot of the small cluster of businesses that made up the Station Square Forestry Conservation and Management Headquarters. With a last deep exhalation and a steely look in her eyes, Mighty popped open the passenger door, reaching into the bag she had brought with her to check the pass they'd sent her in the application pack was present and correct, until a hand on her arm stopped her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Tails smile as reassuringly as he could manage, picking his words carefully as a last minute pep-talk,

"Go for it, you'll knock them dead". The armadillo smiled and gently, ever so gently for someone of her yet unrevealed strength, punched the younger Mobian on the shoulder and answered,

"Tails, not meaning to sound patronising, but you're Sonic's brother, and I'm thankful for that". Without another word, she left, marching up to the security hut at the on-site road and presenting her credentials; the fox's last look came as she was ushered inside, mind still trying to decide if her words had been a compliment or a comparison; eventually, still unable to make up his divided mind, he shrugged and reached for the novel he'd brought with him to while away his wait.

XXX

Having stopped at Amy's for a quick snack and a change of clothes, Sonic raced back to his flat with his partner, desperate to know how his old friend was settling in and, most important of all, if the interview had gone well. Amy was almost as frantic as he was, fighting to keep still, letting Sonic reach his maximum speed without having to slow and maintain his grip on her. She'd been carried along this route so often she could recognise the landmarks even as they whizzed by; she readied herself to be set down as she felt Sonic's speed bleed off, the blue hedgehog slowing as he made the turn into his street, not wanting to overshoot his target by moving too fast. Amy flipped her body around as Sonic came to a sudden full stop, the rose hedgehog using the momentum of the halt to throw her body around and land on her recently healed feet, thankful for the skill of Sabre as she registered no pain at the impact. As she turned around, a blue wind rushed past her, ruffling her spines at the same time a door opened and Sonic's voice echoed in a shout,

"We're back; how'd it go?"

There was no immediate answer; this left Amy and Sonic enough time to enter the blue hedgehog's shared accommodation and almost instantly they were struck by the atmosphere and similarly deflated by it. It was the alien sense of someone's quiet, stoically endured disappointment, an experience you knew didn't affect you directly but still managed to cause disquiet in the back of your mind. Without waiting and in silence, they both entered the kitchen, where Shadow was sat talking quietly with Mighty; the armadillo looked up and offered a regretful smile that told its own story as Sonic and Amy both lowered their eyes, though Sonic had to ask,

"Why not?" To his slight surprise though, rather than being completely upset, Mighty seemed more annoyed with herself than anything else as she explained,

"It wasn't the one for me; I should have read the small print closer", she shook her naturally helmeted head in self-recrimination, feeling low as she'd wasted everyone's time, "it was mostly a desk job and I couldn't do that, the paperwork bores me to absolute tears; soon as they said it I knew, and I guess they must have cottoned on pretty quick, so no luck this time". Amy smiled in commiseration; seeing the expression from the corner of his eye, Sonic was struck with an idea and quickly crossed the room, rubbing her shoulder and chuckling,

"Well tell you what Mich; we've got nibbles in the fridge, a full deck on the side, Tails on call for a game and Amy in the kitchen tonight. Let's all just have a quiet few hands of cards and go from there – you're here for now so let's make the most of it".

XXX

"Amy", Mighty spoke as she held her hands closer to her chest, sneaking a glance at Tails as he tried to flick his eyes at her cards unnoticed, "when you tell me how you deal with the madness of the blue menace over there", Sonic smiled as if complimented and casually kicked his feet onto the table, "could you pass on the recipe for those hot dogs? Don't usually eat meat, but if that's the cuisine standard in this city I'll be changing that like a shot". The rose hedgehog as she accepted her solitary card from Shadow, the sudden widening of her eyes giving away she hadn't picked up what she'd wanted even as she replied,

"Thanks a lot, the secret's in the mince and how you squash it at the right time, but anyway", the hedgehog turned to look at the armadillo more squarely, "Sonic was a bit thin on the details about how you two actually met up – we know you went dancing together, were you at school or anything like that as well?"

"Nah; bad enough I had to deal with him trampling all over my toes; I shudder to think what'd happen if he got loose with a rucksack", Sonic's smile became ever thinner as Mighty grinned at him before continuing, "no, I was staying with my aunt and uncle and they wanted me to learn a bit of grace".

"It didn't work; she nearly bankrupted the school in insurance costs – fixing that many broken feet don't come cheap" Sonic cut in, baiting his friend and chilling her smile before Shadow broke it up as he shuffled the deck,

"Okay, break it up folks; how many you want Smurf?" Sonic turned to face him and even he was quailed by the pair of bazookas that had replaced the hedgehog's eyes and were now aimed right at his forehead,

"Listen Blackie; only Mighty gets to call me that and only then because I get to call her shelly, got it?"

"Every word; how many cards"; _must resist, must not give in…no, can't hold it back_; "Smurfette?"

There was general laughter from all concerned as Sonic was forced to concede the hit, holding up three fingers and taking his cards in a respectful silence. Shadow apologised with his eyes before taking two for himself and checking his hand; not too shabby, but it could be improved by the next whip-around. As he considered his next move, he listened in idly as Tails spoke next to their new guest,

"So what was it about the job you didn't like? Not enough fieldwork did you say, in what way?" The armadillo shook her head before sighing,

"It was just filling in forms, sending off forms and keeping an eye on the annual budget, and I just can't do that – it drives me up the wall and the ceiling as well. I just hate it; I want a job that lets me work outside as well – I used to work for a haulage firm until it went bust; I've been looking for a similar job ever since", she sat back in her chair and casually flexed one arm, looking thoughtful, "my mother always said my strength was a gift, I need a job where I can put it to good use, much like your speed Sonic, and you as well Shadow", she spared him a glance, only to see something was very wrong; a little unsettled by the way he seemed to be looking at her as though seeing her for the first time, she shifted uncomfortably and inquired, "something wrong Shadow?"

XXX

The pieces had flown together like atomic particles slamming to reach critical mass; the resultant mental explosion searing thought and doubt from his mind as he saw it completely, utterly and perfectly, focussed on the Mobian sat across from him. With care, he put down the cards he'd just picked, the curious and in some case outright alarmed looks he was receiving just bouncing off his new armour of pure, unadulterated logic.

"Excuse me please"; with that, he folded his cards and stumbled off his seat, lurching like a sleep walker to implement his plan, the first step coming to hand as he pulled the door to behind him.

XXX

They all asked the same question; Sonic only put it into words,

"What's gotten into him all of a sudden", he stiffened abruptly and spun to Amy, "you don't think it was another flashback?"

"I don't think so", the pink hedgehog shook her head, though the idea was nice as she indicated the still confused Mighty, who was sat still waiting for an explanation, "who could she remind him of; oh, Shadow has amnesia, he gets flashbacks once in a while, tries to remember things". There was a slight 'oh' of understanding before the black hedgehog's voice echoed through the hallway as a summons,

"Tails, a minute please". Mystified, the fox nonetheless followed the trail Shadow had blazed to meet with the schemer, provoking further whispers as to what he was up to, and how was Tails involved. Fortunately, such scratching of heads was delayed by the door opening less than a minute after the fox had departed; even as the two returning Mobians filed back into the kitchen, it seemed whatever affliction Shadow had contracted was contagious as Tails was grinning like a fool also. Without a word of explanation, both retook their seats and Shadow pickled up the deck once more, starting to shuffle before Mighty, with a look at both Sonic and Amy, set her elbows on the table and delved into the heart of the matter,

"You, um, you want to let us know what you were both plotting out there? And what was with the funny eyes at me?" The two plotters lazily inclined their heads to look at each other, Tails giving the nod for Shadow to speak; with excitement and self-satisfaction obvious in his voice, the former ultimate life-form calmly informed her,

"I've just got you another interview".

In the stunned silence that followed, broken only by the slight shuffling as Shadow never stopped shifting the cards, it was the unwritten law that the one whom this pronouncement affected most of all had to be the one to ask, even if she was the last to physically recover her wits from the mental shock,

"You, you what?", there was a time for gratitude and it normally came after explanations, "who the hell with?"

A/N: Answers on a postcard please :-).


	9. Chapter 9 Welcome to the Jungle

Chapter 9 – Welcome to the Jungle.

A/N: Reviewers as always get the first mention:

HHH – Sorry to cool your spurs, but Knucks and Rouge won't be around for a little while yet; after all, a honeymoon is supposed to be a private affair :-). Oh, and if you thought the positions you read about were difficult, you should have seen the ideas I had to start with (evil, evil Tails and Lara-Le!)

RGN – Just as a matter of interest, are their any other monotremes aside from echidnas and platypuses (sp?). Nice to learn about the fauna of a country I'd love to visit some day.

Ri2 – What has he planned indeed – read on, hopefully it'll make sense soon. Hope you enjoy this fic as much as you did the others.

TH – Sometimes I wonder, I really, really do… (Incidentally, I really hope you're idea gets us out of this mess – I don't like looking down the barrel of a gun of any description!)

Sonic ran his fingers hard down his face as he tried to let what Shadow had said sink in; no matter how often he heard it, it still wouldn't penetrate his disbelief that the black hedgehog had done it,

"You got Mighty an interview with the _Chaotix!_" he hissed again, careful to keep his voice down to avoid alerting their new guest in the next room; Shadow merely smiled his enigmatic smile, apparently unaware of the havoc he could have caused; a potential problem Sonic was all too quick to point out, "have you got any idea how much trouble that could cause?"

"Oh, you mean you're worried about the M.E?" The blue hedgehog looked around alarmed at the surprisingly calm tone, seeing Shadow grin as he kicked his heels up carelessly and finish, "don't panic; I sorted it all out with Vector; I remembered he told me about Knuckles leaving them with a load of jobs to do before he and Rouge got back, and most of them were really hard, physical jobs like rubble clearing and tree cutting", he spread his arms insinuatingly; Sonic could only look blank, forcing his ebon counterpart to sigh and explain long-hand, "you heard Mighty; that's the kind of work she loves and what the Chaotix want some help with. The new system surrounding the shrine will make sure she doesn't get into trouble; she's got a good month of work, maybe a little longer, enough for her to think about what she wants to do next and go from there. She's not going to even know about the Master Emerald, Vector said he'd make sure of that".

Try as he might, looking at every angle he could conceivably think of and testing every probability, Sonic couldn't break down the black hedgehog's argument, and at the same time Mighty had been ecstatic when Shadow had filled her in on the job and what it was likely to entail. With a snarl of eventual submission, he finally relented and nodded at Shadow,

"Right, okay, nice idea and thanks; Mighty'll love you forever when she hits Angel Island and the work she gets to do, but listen, I'm still not a hundred percent with this. If the guardians find out it'll be her in trouble for something she had no idea about".

"Trust me Sonic", Shadow did the best he could to reassure his friend under the circumstances, "Vector was adamant he could handle it; I don't know if you saw him at the reception but he looks like he's taking this job as seriously as Knuckles ever did". That Sonic had to agree with, remembering the crocodile speaking about his new responsibility with fire in his eyes; eventually he took the only path open to him and shook his head wearily with defeat,

"Well it's too late to stop this now", he recalled the furious planning Mighty had instigated to make sure she could get to her new and future place of work in plenty of time to give a good impression, coercing Tails to make sure he could leave early the day after tomorrow, "so I'm going to have to trust you to make sure she gets to Mystic Ruins on time tomorrow night". Shadow raised an eyebrow,

"Why can't you manage it? Oh, sorry, forgot", he slapped his forehead as punishment for his faulty memory; "big day tomorrow isn't it?"

"You bet; Amy's been looking forwards to this for weeks and I said I'd be there with her, so there I will be" Sonic assured him, not admitting he was looking forwards to the university open day almost as much as his girlfriend was, though he'd never had any real inclinations to go into further education as she now did.

"Leave it to me; nothing I can't handle"; Shadow gave his victory pose as Sonic gave his thumbs-up – he knew the black hedgehog was more than capable of guiding the armadillo to her destination. Of course, he had reckoned without the most basic factor of all – Mighty herself.

XXX

"Okay, see you"; Shadow put down the book he'd been ready and shot to his feet, spines bristling as he saw Mighty with her bags on her back and one foot out the door; he hastily regathered his tongue and shouted,

"Hey wait; where are you off?"

"Mystic Ruins", she answered, looking a little surprised as it seemed the black hedgehog had forgotten everything that had happened the previous night, "I know where the station is and I've got a map; Tails marked out where his house is so if I set off now I can make a decent hike of it".

"Wait a minute", Shadow kicked off the settee and rushed over to her, a little panicked by this sudden decision taken out of his hands, "I'm supposed to take you there". The armadillo laughed and raised a gently forestalling hand,

"Oh no, don't trouble yourself, I can find the place".

"But…"; by the sudden way she folded her arms and settled her weight on the back foot, Shadow realised she was set on this; it was the same stance an obstinate Sonic or Rouge often affected to symbolise their determination not to be moved. Normally Shadow would still have had a pretty good go at the task, but for some reason with Mighty it was a different story; maybe it was the way her face was framed not just by her shell but also the overhanging door, or perhaps by folding her arms the muscle swells of her triceps had become much more pronounced; either way, the black hedgehog capitulated and made the only offer he could,

"Well, I can at least run your bags there; that way you won't have to carry them". In an instant she had lost her brooding look and pulled him back into a one-armed hug,

"You're a sweetheart, you know that?" She kissed him on the cheek again, feeling him blush once more as she let go and set her bag down, "tell Tails I'm on my way; should be there in a couple of hours or so". The black hedgehog nodded and picked up the bag she'd put down, straightening with them in each hand and speaking sagely,

"Fair enough; ring us when you get in to the Ruins, cool?"

"Sure thing; the rest of my stuff's in my room, but it's all bagged up" she explained as she headed down the few steps out the front door and allowed Shadow to lock it and turn to her,

"Right, well enjoy your walk; see you again Mighty, it was really nice to see you".

"Likewise", she clasped his offered hand, smiling to deny her aura of intimidation as she said goodbye to her newest friend, "great to see the Smurf managed to find himself a good crowd".

"Stop saying that; Sonic'll beat me to pulp if I call him that but every time, the voices say I should" Shadow argued, his vice mysterious and drifting as the armadillo shook her head one last time and then departed, turning on her heel and leaving towards the station to Mystic Ruins, a blur of darkness shooting past her as Shadow began the first of several trips to the home of his foxboy friend.

XXX

Finding the station was easy enough; there were plenty of people to ask if she was a little unsure of her direction as well as the map in her hand. After paying for a one way ticket to the Ruins, she hopped aboard the train, nodding politely to the guard Wilson as she took a seat, only her shoulder bag containing a water bottle now on her back as she looked forwards to a decent jaunt before the night fell. It was certainly the right weather for it; the sun was blazing hot and the air was still, all it needed was a bit of a breeze to stir up the hanging warmth and it'd be perfect, the few clouds in the distance not seeming to cast a shadow over the day as she looked out of the window. _Looks like just the sort of place I could ramble very happily_; she smiled to herself as she let her head rest against the window, not feeling the coldness of the glass pane due to her shell lacking the ability to feel temperature, though she smiled still as an entertaining thought formed in her mind; _after all, a little exercise never hurt anyone_.

XXX

Shadow heard the key click in the lock and was in the kitchen, had the kettle flicked on and three mugs were arranged on the sideboard, the black hedgehog calling through,

"Hey guys; kettle's just boiling, fancy one?"

"Like you wouldn't believe", Amy suddenly appeared in the doorway and just from her face he could tell the day had been a success, "but you wouldn't believe the place Shadow; it's massive on the inside. I know it looks small when you look at it from the outside, but when you're in their it's like a rabbit warren; so many different corridors, it's going to be fun just trying to find my way around, but I'm sure I'll get there eventually". As she drew in another breath, he managed to get a word in edge-ways,

"So I take it you liked the place?" She nodded vigorously,

"You bet; the tutors were all really nice and showed us around; the lecture theatres were a bit cramped but they said you get used to them. There's also a practical aspect of the course; we get to go out and actually deal with patients, see how it's done right", she stepped in a little closer, face more serious as she took hold of the black hedgehog's hand, stilling it as it moved towards the sugar bowl armed with a spoon, "I could learn to help you out Shadow; I sure hope I can".

He was touched by the offer, no denying it; he really was genuinely grateful that someone would be willing to help him any more than his friends collectively already had would go that extra mile to aid his failed memory. He managed a weak smile as he carefully freed his hand and added sugar to Sonic's mug, shaking away the tears from his eyes as the kettle whistled and boiled at last.

"Thanks Ames; means a lot"; he might have said more, had not Sonic suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway and broken the moment, his face a picture of worry and concern,

"Where's Mighty?" Shadow answered casually as he poured the drinks for them,

"On her way to the Mystic Ruins; said she wanted to make a hike of it and…huh, Sonic?" The blue hedgehog was no longer there, the only sound indicating his current position the tapping of phone buttons followed by a frustrated growl and thump as the phone was slammed back down,

"Damn, must be switched off" Sonic raved as Amy, raising an eyebrow and looking baffled at Shadow, slowly moved into the hall and touched Sonic's shoulder,

"What's up Sonikku? Is anything wrong?" The blue hedgehog put his face in his hands and rubbed suddenly tired eyes, slowly walking back into the kitchen with a sigh and slumping into a chair,

"Nothing you could have known about Shads", a chilly frost of fear settled on the black hedgehog's mind, turning into an ice sheet as Sonic explained, "not wanting to sound disparaging, but Mighty's hopeless when it comes to getting anywhere on time; the reason she loves hiking is because she has to walk four miles to get to a place two miles away". _Oh heck, I knew I should have taken her_; Shadow felt ashamed even as he tried to make up for his then unknown error,

"She's got a map". To his ambivalent relief and despair, Sonic chuckled,

"The only thing she can find on a map's the North arrow", he took a swig of his coffee and growled in mock-anger and disappointment, "oh, I should have seen this coming; don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine", he added, seeing the apprehension all around and trying to stall it, "it's just that she'll probably turn up on Tails' doorstep at around about midnight, still not sure if she's got the right address. If she hasn't rung in before five, I'm going on a run to look for her – all we can hope is that she realises her phone's switched off so we can call her".

"Sorry Sonic, I…"

"You did what you thought was right", the blue hedgehog smiled, recalling the times he'd been introduced to the armadillo's somewhat errant sense of direction, "she likes trying to do things herself, and she normally gets there in the end as long as there aren't any broom closets around". Amy saw his lips twitch and, though she knew she was probably going to regret asking, she couldn't stop herself,

"Go on then, what happened?"

"Well, we were just heading out of dance class and…"

XXX

_Well, exercise never hurt anyone;_ Mighty's thoughts had turned slightly more sour as the day had worn on, not helped by the fact the day had become progressively more oppressive and muggy, almost stifling in its humidity as she took another swig from the water canteen she now held and carried on, not deigning to check the paper in her left hand; _but map-reading gives you a headache!_ She looked forwards, having a rough idea that Mystic Ruins was supposed to be on the other side of a large wooded area; that said, she could see at least three fairly sizeable plantations nearby but, going by the logic that the one directly in front of her was the closest and most easily accessible, she shrugged and soldiered on, swatting the few flies that clustered around her damp face as she moved towards the beckoning branches; at least the trees were offering shade.

The forest she entered, she soon found out, wasn't a forest at all; it was a marsh that offered not only shade, but more sodden ground than she ever wanted to squish through in her life ever again and seemingly every mosquito under the sun had simultaneously migrated here for an all-you-can-eat buffet, armadillo being the main course. As she pulled herself onto the branches of a nearby tree, climbing fairly agilely despite her shell's bulk and weight, she gained a slightly heightened view of her surroundings and after swatting the few mosquitoes that still swarmed around her head, tried to recollect her bearings at the same time as struggle for her map. It was as she was doing this that her eyes caught a sudden flash of colour, set well against the monotonous grey and brown of this accursed swampland. For a second she kept her eyes clear on the sight, trying to decipher what it actually was; however, her preoccupation on this anomaly blinded her to the messages from her feet; by the time she realised them, horror stabbed her as she realised it was too late to correct the trend; the soles of her shoes couldn't find enough purchase on the damp bark and were slipping; in another few seconds she'd fall!

With a jolt of adrenaline and fear, the armadillo made a snap decision that, in retrospect, could have turned out a lot better but for bad luck. Bunching her not inconsiderable leg muscles, Mighty made a do-or-die leap from her tree, aiming at a sturdy branch opposite her; in the split-second she'd had to look at it, she reckoned it could be enough to bear her weight. The leap was inch perfect; her boots landed squarely on the branch she'd aimed at and she clutched at it with a free hand, trying desperately to keep her balance. The ill-luck, however, came in the form of a lack of time; had Mighty been able to take a closer look, she may have realised that, though the tree had seemed enough to bear her weight, it was white and brittle, a mere skeleton stripped of its strength and endurance. The sudden impact of a fast-moving armadillo landing heavily had been far more than the branch could take; with a sharp snap, it gave way and snapped; Mighty had enough time for a shout of alarm before she was plunged, still holding the wood of her perch futilely in one hand, into the freezing stream the branch had been overhanging.

Lost in an icy torrent, she'd been lucky to keep her breath at the sudden cold; her primal instincts had just been enough to hold her mouth and nose shut as she landed in the weed-choked brook. She lashed out with her feet, trying to kick out and stop her descent into the dark water, only for river weeds to wind like slimy serpents around her legs, contriving to drag her down into the depths she might never escape from. Panic tore at her; only her focussed mind prevented her from screaming and losing the last of her priceless air – she had to remain calm and struggle to the surface somehow. With a jar and another kiss of shock, she realised her feet had slammed into silty mud, she was at the bottom of a river and, there was a hard tap on her shell, probably the branch that had fallen with her sinking a little slower than she had. Concentrating on her problem, she forced one foot free, flailing her arms to try and head for the surface, get to fresh air; she half-spun around and the tap retuned, this time slipping of her shell side and prodding her in the floating ribs. Her temper suddenly flared; _I'm at the bottom of a lake, covered in weeds and now something's trying to eat me – no way am I standing for this!_ She lashed out with a hand, grabbing her assailant with a meaty hand and trying to strangle it; it recoiled but she wouldn't let go, this thing would learn the hard way that when you messed with Michelle Armadillo, you came off worse. It was only when she looked upwards, the muddied water stinging her eyes, that she realised this thing was dragging her to clearer water, and she was going to the surface, to air, air…

XXX

There was an explosion from the water in front of him, Big heaved upwards with all his strength and held his rod upwards, up from the water, beholding his catch as it coughed, spluttered and spat out the muddy water. _Hullo_; the cat cocked his head, mind not recalling having ever seen anyone like this in his neck of the woods before; _what have I landed myself with this time?_ Shaking himself slightly, realising the predicament this strange creature was still in, he carefully guided his rod inwards, carefully depositing its new cargo on the bank and moving up as the Mobian he'd rescued fell to her haunches, coughing deeply and spitting out the last of the grit in her mouth. Conscientiously realising she was covered in weeds, the cat moved forwards and started to brush them off; his gloved paws felt the hardness of the armour on her back and he slowed a little, though he didn't stop until there was a sharp rap on the back of his hand,

"Hey", he looked up from the sudden pain to see the stranger glaring up at him, still intimidating despite looking as though she'd just been dredged up from a swamp, which of course she had, "I can do that thank you".

"Okay"; he didn't want any ill feelings, merely letting her knock most of the weeds off and hurl them back into the stream she'd ripped them from with disgust and not a few unpleasant words as she shook her head and snarled,

"Bloody hell; I come out on a hike and nature tries to suck me dry then drown me; why, what the hell have I done? I don't flaming know; give me a reason someone", the cat wisely stayed quiet throughout the tirade, just in case her temper was directed at him until, with a snort, the smaller Mobian turned to look at her as yet unrecognised saviour.

XXX

He was a lot taller than she was and wider as well; that came as something of a surprise, though she had to snarl as she realised this guy was the reason behind that whole sorry episode; if she hadn't been put off looking at his unusual purple fur, she'd have realised she was slipping out of her tree. The indignation that he'd done that, then had the gall to come over here in his own sweet time and haul her out the lake, was almost enough to shatter her temper and let her go in swinging; the more she thought about it, the more tempting it was – after all, even above and beyond those other crimes, he'd tried it on when she had her back turned…

_Calm down_; as the last of the clinging weeds were thrown back where they belonged, Mighty took a deep breath and her mind tried to logically sift through what her temper had taken as gospel; _first off, I was looking at him, then he came and pulled me out of that ditch. And_; even bedraggled and plastered with mud she had to smile, chiding herself for giving the thought any credence, however fleeting; _he didn't try anything, he was just getting those things off me_. With the past finally locked back where it belonged, the armadillo was free to concentrate on the present, most of which to do with the Mobian now stood feet from her, looking with an expression of patience mixed with a tiny hint of pain; she looked down at where he was holding his right paw and felt hot, airy shame squeeze up into her cheeks,

"Ah, sorry about that", she pointed at the hand she'd unjustly hit in her anger, "wasn't thinking straight, you know, not expecting that and all".

"Quite all right", a voice deep as a low rumble of thunder, yet gentle as a summer breeze, answered her as the large cat's hazel eyes looked her up and down; she was alert to any hint of lust in his eyes; it wouldn't be the first time she'd had man trouble, but no, they were clear as he checked her over superficially for injury; _nothing but my pride_. Aware of the silence thickening, Mighty realised it was time to finally deliver what this guy deserved,

"Hey, thanks for the rescue", his ears flicked and he looked at her anew, politely puzzled as she continued, "I could have got out after a while, but that helped me out".

"I don't need thanks for that"; his answer surprised her, the explanation sounding genuine to her ears, "you needed help, I was around, simple as that. Now", he shifted his footing, standing tall and for the first time in too long Mighty found herself a little unsure of what this Mobian was capable of; he had some strength and girth on him; _in a straight fight, could I take him? Geez, I hope so_; "what are you doing here?"

The question must have caught her off-guard; Big watched as she floundered for a second, not sure what to answer with – she'd been too busy sizing him up at the same time he was trying to show he was harmless,

"Err, I was, um", she fumbled, starting to regain confidence slowly after her fall, "I'm on the way to Mystic Ruins; am I on the right track?" He couldn't help himself; a low chuckle pervaded the still air as he shook his head,

"No, it's over that way", he pointed off to their left before pointing at her, "but I don't recommend trying to get there now". She smiled caustically as if he'd set her a challenge,

"Well, if I don't get there now, I'll have to crash in this swamp won't I? Give me one good reason not to get there now". To her well-concealed surprise, the cat matched her smile and held up three fingers,

"I can go two better than one – for a start, it'll be dusky soon and that means midges; you think you've seen the worst of them now you're as wrong as it's possible to be. Two, look at the sky", Mighty looked up and saw with consternation that the clouds that when she'd set off were barely wisps on the horizon now covered half the sky in a black shroud, "it's going to hit tonight, and hard; maybe even get a flash of lightning and walking to Mystic Ruins in the rain is not a good idea. And lastly", Big finished by indicating the armadillo herself, "I don't think Tails would appreciate you turning up on his doorstep looking like something from the Black Lagoon".

_Damn, that was good_; Mighty was staggered as she couldn't find a single flaw in his logic – it all made perfect sense. Unfortunately, that perfect logic left another, even more perfect problem; she had to get to the Ruins, but she couldn't do it on foot – she only had a single option and it was one she was loathe to take. Swallowing a bitter pill, she forced herself to ask,

"So, how can I get to Mystic Ruins?" Her eyes fell on the pole he carried in his other hand and widened when they saw the ringlets studding it, "you're out here to fish right? Do you have a car or something?"

"No", Big shook his head and Mighty's shoulders slumped; _looks like it's a walk in the rain for me then_; "but I've got a house". She couldn't believe her ears,

"You live, out here?" He nodded succinctly and her mind boggled, "_why?"_

"I like it out here", his tone was firm, but there may just have been a hint of evasion in his eyes and body language as he hastily glossed over the topic, "but forget that; I can't leave you out here, it's dangerous; you have to come with me. You can get cleaned up and a night's rest, leave in the morning. I know the way to Mystic Ruins from here; you'll be there before Tails wakes up". He looked to see her reaction; she was sorely tempted to say no and he could understand why, but eventually logic and reason steered her decision and she nodded, just once, keeping herself guarded as the cat smiled engagingly,

"Okay, just let me get my stuff and we'll get out of here". She nodded again, her eye piercing, looking to see something that wasn't there in the cat's manner as he turned and strode away, looking for the rest of his fishing tackle and, having located it, storing it carefully in his fishing bag. He totted everything up, only to find one of his larger lures missing; sweeping around the ground behind him with his tail, he was a little shocked to feel a damp shoe; spinning around, he came face to face with the stranger once more, the lure held in her hand. Taking it, he quickly secured it away as she spoke again,

"We both forgot one thing back there"; _if only_; "I'm Michelle Armadillo, call me Mighty, who are you?"

"I'm Big"; it was only when he heard her laugh that he realised how dumb that must have sounded; just in case though, Mighty laid it out on a plate,

"Well really", that had broken through her barriers and tickled her funny bone no end, interspersing her next comment with giggles, "I'd never hahave guessed".

"No, no", the cat tried to correct his mistake, "my name is Big; and no, I'm not joking" he added slightly peevish as her laughter choked off and she looked at him wide eyed. He stood before her renewed scrutiny, impassive until slow, a smile broke on her face once more and she chortled,

"Man your parents hit the nail on the head", she shucked her now soaked bag into a more comfortable position on her shoulder before giving him the nod, "well then Big, lead on; I want to get somewhere warmer and drier than this damned swamp, and I want to get there now". Without a word, the cat turned and led on, Mighty trailing behind slightly, thinking hard as her mind said something, but her memory failed to provide the vital link for now; _what did he say earlier that's so important now?_

XXX

The penny dropped a couple of minutes into the walk,

"Hey Big", the cat looked over his shoulder, "how did you know I was going to see Tails?"

"He lives at Mystic Ruins, so you have to be going to see him if you're going there; nothing else there save a wide open space a few tumbled down buildings". His logic once more surprised her, but the surprise was drowned out in the realisation that here was an angle she could have a go at,

"You know Tails well then?" The cat shrugged, scrambling over a tree root and checking off local landmarks as he answered,

"Fairly; I see him around and he sometimes visits me when he has a mind to". _Right, that was the easy bit_; Mighty needed the next answer for proof and crossed her fingers as she tried to keep her voice conversational,

"I see; that means you know his brother as well right?"

"Sonic? Yeah, though I see more of Tails than I do of him; not really surprising since you can't run in a swamp very well", he turned his back and Mighty was giving herself a pat on the back for finding this out before his parting shot hit home, "come to think of it, you can't jump from trees very well either". The armadillo's mouth fell open at his reminder and she scowled, hoisting herself over the tree root he'd just gone over and dogging his footsteps, determined to absolve her error by not falling behind.

XXX

"Well, here we are", Big held back the branch for her; Mighty merely ducked under it and then, seeing it was rotten and nothing more than an obstruction, whipped out one arm and snapped it casually, causing the cat to raise his eyebrows, "thanks, been meaning to do that for a while; home sweet home". Following his finger, the armadillo flicked her eyes to where it seemed she'd be spending the night.

She hadn't really been sure exactly what to expect, but the sturdy wooden construction in front of her seemed cosy enough, braced as it was in a tight grove of trees that were at once protection from the elements and living parts of the domicile. _One way of getting back to nature I suppose – live in a living house_; Mighty smiled at the thought and nodded, desperate for the privacy to get out of her wet clothes and clean off the clinging streaks of muck that covered her still.

"Nice", with that single word of praise she set off, deftly avoiding the puddles of still water that had collected in the natural pot-holes in front of the cat's home, Big following her with his eyes trained by the side of his door. She reached the front and waited, only to be spurred on by his shout,

"It's open"; true enough, when she looked closer, she saw there was no lock on his front door.

"That's not very secure; what about burglars" she commented, Big merely laughed,

"If they find anything worth stealing in there they deserve it; go inside, I won't be a minute"; Mighty smiled despite herself at the joke, even if she was beginning to dread what awaited her inside as Big unhooked a bucket hung up by the side of the door with one hand and gestured to her with the other. Lack of options again forced her hand; steeling herself, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

_Whoa, time warp_; her first thought wasn't quite true, but there was no denying that Big's home wasn't quite furnished with all mod cons. The floor was covered in dried reeds and moss, surprisingly springy beneath her shoes, while a much larger pile of heather rose up like a mountain plateau over in one corner, giving the whole place a rather sweet scent that the armadillo liked. With a casual inspection and noticing the impression left on the mound, she reasoned this must be where Big slept; the old, rather squashed looking armchair towards the centre looked like where he took his repose. Out of amusement, Mighty walked over to this seat and ran her fingers along one of the arm rests; it was almost bare due to the age and, she tapped it, almost compressed solid. _Where did he dredge this relic up from – bet someone dumped it here and he just happened by_; it seemed like the kind of thing this strange recluse she had found would do; there was nothing wrong with the chair that she could see…

"Ribbit!"

With a gasp of shock Mighty sprang backwards, guard shooting up even as her eyes told her it wasn't necessary; adrenaline rushing around her body and heart beating ninety to the dozen, she let out a low whistle of relief as she beheld her erstwhile enemy. Sitting on the main seat of the chair with all the reality of a king on his throne, a large, dark green frog was turning to face her, beady black eyes unblinking as it spoke again,

"Ribbit". As if seeing something interesting, the amphibian began to clamber towards the armadillo, crawling up the side of the arm rest Mighty had been examining at the same time as she redressed her errant guess; _it's a toad, not a frog – frogs don't crawl like that_. With a smile, she bunched her hands into loose fists and placed them on her hips,

"Now that wasn't very nice was it?" she chastised the climbing toad as it finally scrambled onto the armrest, squatting down for a better look at her, "scaring me half to death like that, you aught to be asha, hey!" The toad had launched itself at her with a powerful spring of its hind legs; with her quick reflexes, the armadillo fielded the bounding creature like a rugby ball, careful to keep her grip soft in case she hurt it accidentally. Once in her arms, the toad went limp, apparently content as she slowly lifted it up to eye level and regarded it more closely before there was a noise at her back; she turned around to see Big enter his home and smile, the bucket in his hand now full of clear water,

"Hey, this little fellow must have crept in when you were out", Mighty held up her new friend, which tried to squirm out of her grip as it saw the cat, "reckon we aught to let him out?"

"Nah, that's Froggy". Big shook his head and motioned for her to put the toad down; unsure but trusting him in this, Mighty did and watched in amazement as it leapt and crawled towards the cat, ribbeting as it did so. Big stooped down to pet his oldest friend as he always did, looking up at a sudden question,

"Friend of yours?" Big nodded, happy as always that someone was there to see him when he came home; placing Froggy on his bed, the cat explained,

"Yeah, found him when he was hurt one day, couldn't have been more than two or three years old. He stayed with me over the winter while his leg fixed; he'd have died if he'd tried to hibernate, from then he's just hung around and helped me out". _Well_; Mighty raised an eyebrow at Big's unusual choice of pet; _gotta have a hobby I suppose, and I doubt you'd get a cat or dog to stay here for neither love nor money. Look on the bright side, it could have been a crocodile_; she chuckled at her own joke before a sudden thought cropped up and she acted on it,

"Hey, why do you call him Froggy? He's a toad".

"I know that now, wasn't sure when I first found him so I just took a guess and got it wrong", Big admitted, pointing at the now resting amphibian before shrugging, "I don't hear any complaints, so I let it lie. Now then", he put the bucket down and pointed at Mighty, "get cleaned up with this while I go and get something to eat sorted; stand near the stove when you use the water; when it's switched on it'll dry out the moss and stop it rotting. I won't be long, but take your time".

"Okay", there was a little apprehension in her tone as she answered, though thankfully Big didn't seem to notice as he left and went outside; _I can't trust that he won't pry on me_; the second the door swung shut, she was in action and implementing her plan; _but if he was telling the truth I know someone who will._

XXX

Big quickly left his charge to do whatever she needed to do to feel more comfortable while he swiftly amended his plans for dinner; he had a guest now, and that meant two fish rather than one. Luckily the lures had done well today and he could easily accommodate this change, though he'd have to be out tomorrow to restock whatever Mighty ate. As he reached where he needed to go, the fast flowing stream zipping past his home in a clear rush of liquid crystal, Big threw these thoughts to one side and concentrated on preparing the fish he had caught earlier. He reached into his fishing bag and drew out the first, grasping it by the gills and, as he did so, feeling the soft spot on the top of his head, the spot where he'd struck his lethal blow. _The kindest way to kill a fish_; Big heard his father speak as he always would at this time, the older cat showing him how to finish what had begun when the bait was taken; _one strike and it feels nothing. It's the best way, and the kindest way_. Slowly sliding off one of his gloves, Big turned the fish over and slid out one of his claws, immersing the dead fish in the stream to ensure no mess when he began to gut it.

XXX

The crisp note of the phone shattered the silence; it rang one and a half times before Sonic was at the other end,

"Hello?"

"Hey Sonic", he let out a heavy, heartfelt sigh of relief as he recognised Mighty's voice; _she must have got there just in time – another five minutes and I'd have been after her._"Mighty, you scared us all half to death wandering off like that", he scolded, though he knew it was all just bouncing off her independent streak like a pebble would rebound from her shell, "what time did you get in, and where's Tails?"

"I'm not at Mystic Ruins", the armadillo's voice was mater-of-fact, but Sonic had a faint tingling of unease as he realised his friend sounded a little concerned as she spoke next, "I'm not sure where I am, but it's a swamp and I'm with someone who calls himself Big, says he knows you".

"Big", Sonic chuckled as his tension left him, though he chose his next words carefully just in case, "well you got lucky then; don't worry, he'll set you on the right track; listen", an inspiration came to him and he clicked his fingers, beckoning frantically as Amy looked over, "talk to Amy, she knows him better than me. I'm handing you over now; take care Mich". With that, he passed the receiver over and the next voice Mighty heard was Amy's,

"Hello Mighty".

"Ah, hi Ames", the armadillo didn't dance around the issue, "listen, what do you know about Big?"

"Big? Why?"

"Because I'm at his place now; must have got lost on the way to the ruins and ended up here", she confided, keeping her voice low in case the cat was listening at the door, "he said it wasn't a good idea to travel the rest of the way today; is he okay and all that?" _Right, I see the problem here_; Amy smiled and tried to soothe the other Mobian's fears,

"Listen Mighty, Big is as nice a person as there is; there's not a nasty bone in his body. He's right about not going, I've just seen a weather forecast and the sky here's black as the ace of spades, it's going to hammer down soon. I've spent nights there with him; believe me, he won't so much as look at you if you say you don't want him to".

"Well that's good, 'cause right now I really don't want him to". Amy's surprise was evident even down the line,

"Why not?"

"I fell in and I'm trying to clean up"; there was the laugh she'd been expecting, and a commiseration as an added bonus,

"Been there, done that – have a good night and see you later".

"You too"; with that, Mighty cut the call and deleted the long list of missed calls from her phone; _well, they all say he's cool, and he was telling the truth, and best of all I don't have an option – I bet it can get dangerous at night, especially if it's raining_; with those thoughts, Mighty sighed and gave into the inevitable; slipping her tank top off from her shoulders, she reached for the bucket of water Big had harvested for her to clean up in.

XXX

Accepting the need for modesty, Big rapped on the door and called,

"Her, um, are you done in there yet?" There was a little silence; he checked the sky and saw with consternation that it was going to absolutely throw it down in the next half-hour; he was so preoccupied with the weather he nearly missed the answering shout,

"No, I, ah, I need something to wear; my clothes are still soaked"; _of course – should have seen that one coming_; Big mentally kicked his own tail for missing that detail before calling back with directions,

"If you look towards the back of the chair, there's a small chest there; look inside, there's a blanket in there. Sorry but it's all I've got, you can wrap up in it".

"Okay, thanks", there were a few more seconds silence, the wind sweeping towards the front of the cat's home picking up speed, ferocity and a few leaves before Mighty's voice was heard again, "right, come in". He hesitated for just a second, just in case something went wrong at the very last second, then opened the front door and slipped inside.

Instinctively, Mighty huddled down deeper in her blanket and kept her eyes on the cat as he moved forwards; Sonic and Amy both had vouched for him, but she still felt vulnerable with this stranger, even if she knew she was more than capable of holding her own against anyone under the sun. He didn't spare her much attention, averting his eyes by focussing on the stove and, as he bent to light it, she saw what he had in his hand,

"Fish is it then?" Big looked up and followed the nodding of her head; he smiled as he looked at the two head and tailless specimens now in his hand, as well as the two thin strips of bark she'd skinned from a nearby tree.

"Yep, and a couple of these and, what the hey, not often I get company; a sprig of mint and parsley as well", he reached up; Mighty followed the movement and saw with a jolt that the whole of the ceiling of Big's hut was hung with dried bushels of different herbs, all hanging down and adding their unique aromas to the atmosphere of this place. He carefully twisted a handful of leaves from a green laurel and delicately wrapped them, together with a portion of fish, in the skins of bark; as he set these wraps up over his stove, the armadillo's curiosity got the better of her,

"Why are you doing that? Won't the wood burn?"

"Nah, the fire's not hot enough", Big recalled explaining the same mechanics to Cream as he'd prepared the same dish for her during a visit, "don't worry, the fish will still cook alright, just takes a bit longer than otherwise, and we could use that time", he stumped over and sat on the edge of what counted as his bed, Froggy crawling into his lap as he gestured Mighty to the vacant armchair, "you're probably not all that sure of where you are and who I am, and likewise I'm not a hundred percent sure why you're here and how Tails is mixed up in it. So", Mighty shifted her blanket around herself, surprised at how warm the material was becoming now and, as she weighed up his proposal, decided it would be a good idea to take Big's offer up as he finished, "let's set the facts straight".

As the pair of Mobians began to talk, the first few specks of rain, round and shiny as pennies, began to fall from the burgeoning sky.

XXX

As the talk moved on, Mighty felt her apprehension lift; slowly but surely she became more at ease the company of this, well, she couldn't really decide what Big actually was; there was a fine line between a great idea and madness, and his idea of getting a quiet life by living in the middle of a swamp fell right on the border. Still, the armadillo had to agree with Amy; the cat was completely placid; even when she'd taken a bit of a gamble and let the top of the blanket slip an inch, showing nothing but keeping focussed on his reaction, he'd kept his eyes fixed firmly on her face, not even trying to see what wasn't there. _I don't think he'd try anything_; Mighty finally buried that issue with a mental effort and smiled before asking her own question,

"So how do you know Sonic then; I met him dancing but, not meaning to be rude, you don't look like someone with a set of twinkle toes".

"Neither does he to be honest", Big quipped back before pointing at the small mound where Froggy now appeared to be dozing, "I went into the city one day and Froggy got lost; Sonic and his friends helped me find him again. I leave him here now, just in case"; he glossed over most of the details, not wanting to be forced to rake over the events of Chaos and, worse possibly than even that, the Metal Overlord as well, though thankfully Mighty appeared unaware of what had happened, or at least of his involvement in those episodes.

"Fair enough", she shrugged and held her blanket closer, listening to the rain now spattering the roof and walls of the cabin for a second before continuing, "do you know about the floating Island by any chance?"

"A little; I've only ever been once or twice – Tails is your best bet there, he's got a plane that he flies there nearly every day".

"Oh right, well I'll find out…", the important bit of that last sentence slammed into Mighty and she blinked in speechless shock for a minute, "wait, Tails can fly?"

"Yeah, he twists his tails and takes off…"

"No, no"; _is there anything this kid can't do?_; "I mean he can fly a plane?"

"Yeah, the Tornado", Big informed her, beginning to stand up and move towards the stove, "if you're going to Angel Island, he'll be taking you in that".

"Man", Mighty felt a dazed smile form on her face, "he can drive, he can fly naturally and with a plane, is there anything Tails doesn't do?"

"Yep, he can't fish to save his life", Big said mournfully, regretful that despite his instruction the implementation of rod and lure still eluded the fox; shaking his head, he refocused on the task at hand, "speaking of fish though, tea's up".

Mighty looked down, slightly dubious as Big carefully dimmed the heat from the stove and lifted one of the packages of bark towards her; she took it and raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out how to eat this new dish without earning a tongue full of splinters. With this in mind, she cast a furtive glance at Big, copying him as he carefully unwrapped the bark roll to reveal the meat inside; _ah, so that's it_. Mystery solved, the armadillo was soon presented with a cloud of aromatic steam from the soft pink meat of her meal; taking a sniff, she felt her mouth start to water – it sure smelt good. She looked around for a knife and fork, only to see out the corner of her eye Big tucking in with gusto, eating with his gloved hands; seeing this and following the old proverb of when in Rome, she lifted up her portion and, after seeing with interest how the skin had been peeled off along with the bark when she'd extracted it, she licked her lips and took a bite.

Warm, sweet water flooded into her mouth, not scaldingly hot but enough to almost drown her taste buds, already tingling with the flavour of slightly smoky meat and now assailed by the subtle hints of sharper mint and placid, gentle parsley. She hastily swallowed; just avoiding gagging on so much water she was shocked the seemingly dry meal could have held it all. The taste was something else and she wasted no time in saying so,

"Whoa, Big", the cat looked up, "this is great; I've eaten in restaurants where the fish courses are nowhere near this good, how'd you learn to cook so well?"

"Practise", the cat replied, bolting down his own mouthful to avoid bad manners, "I've developed loads of recipes because I can experiment; soups, fish rolls, shellfish courses, you name it I can make it".

"No kidding", Mighty took time out for another bite of the delicious fish, "well if you ever get bored of living out here, just sell a recipe book, you'll make a mint". The cat chuckled as he watched his guest devour every scrap of her meal, commenting,

"I'll bear it in mind; just glad you enjoyed it".

"You got that right Big; I reckon the only one who wouldn't enjoy that meal's the fish itself."

XXX

Sleeping was comfortable enough that night; after the surprisingly filling feast she'd been gifted by her host, Mighty was left drowsy and with no inclination to move for the foreseeable future. Big seemed to pick up on this and asked mildly,

"I take it you'd like the chair for the night?"

"You said it" she replied, sliding down deeper into the comfortable blanket and chair and letting her arms dangle carelessly over the side. Because of this, and the weight of her pendulous fists, they swung slightly and, as a consequence, brushed the side of the chair, where a pouch was located. Mighty stopped for a second, feeling what seemed like a hard corner held within the material and, without thinking, slipped her hand inside as she asked,

"Hey Big, what's this?"

As soon as he saw where Mighty was leaning, Big knew the answer and his heart sank a little as he realised what she must have ferreted out. As she lifted the battered old book from its normal resting place, he cleared his throat and mumbled,

"Oh, yeah, that's where I, ah, do drawings and stuff".

"You draw?" She was more curious that disbelieving; for a second he thought he might sneak away with it before, "mind if I take a look?" _Not a lot of choice here_; Big braced himself and offered a watery smile,

"Sure". With that single damming word, he watched on with baited breath as the armadillo turned the pages of his private world.

_Wow_; the sketch that first met her eyes was a still so real it could have been mistaken for a black and white photograph. Froggy was in mid spring, mouth wide and expecting as the fly he was aiming for made a last-ditch effort to escape the jaws of consumption. It was pencilled energy, everything expressed dynamism, movement so real she half-expected the toad's jaws to clamp shut at any second, the fly's wings to buzz one last time and then cease forever. She tore her eyes upwards to look open-mouthed at the artist, just for a split-second before her hands, of their own accord, desperate to see the next in the series of these sketches, flipped the page and she was drawn down once more. The struggles of the fish were so real she could almost feel the water thrown up into her skin and dampened her, the dragonfly on the lily pad could have taken off any second, so real did it appear, every tiny vein in its gossamer wings shown and sketched in with isometric perfection. Faster and faster she forced herself to go, seeing more and more of these masterpieces, until one in particular made her pause.

It was Big and Froggy, but even more importantly, it showed two other people as well, stood in front of a well lit house. One of these people was Amy, smiling in such a lifelike manner the armadillo couldn't help but smile back, touched by the illusion of the painting as she beheld the stranger in this picture; she was definitely a rabbit and it looked like a chao was hugging one of her unusually long ears, but she was happy, seeming to pose with her friends as the illumination from behind them caught up a series of highlights that forced Mighty to look at the picture anew, really study it in an effort to see how well the shading had been done. _Magnificent_; the only word her mind could suggest as she flipped the page again, coming to the end of the journey, the last sketch in her vision now as she gasped; if the previous drawing had captured the joy someone could feel, this one radiated the infallibility of the Mobian spirit.

It was Amy, stood tall and proud with the hammer she had shown Mighty earlier slung over a shoulder. It was well up to the normal, or what Mighty had come to see as normal, standard of Big's other works, but the face, the face of the hedgehog was something Mighty knew she'd never fully forget. There was such pain there, such blame and misery that her heart reached out for the pencil sketch, rebuffed only by the resolve, endless depths of courage and remorselessness that must have been fuelling the hedgehog and allowing her to conquer her loss to carry on. Tears glistened in her eyes, fracturing the image, and she hastily blinked them away, she couldn't bear to spoil this drawing with her tears, even if she could see the crinkling and blotches on the bottom of the paper which suggested it had already been attacked by water. Slowly, gaze lingering as long as possible, Mighty reverently closed the sketch book and with infinite care replaced it exactly the way she'd found it. Taking a deep breath, she looked up to see the artist before her in a light that up until now she'd never even considered.

"Big, those are…" she tailed off, no words able to sum up what every individual drawing there actually was, the effort and beauty contained in each stroke of the pencil. The cat must have been, if not used to this sort of thing, at least expecting it as he spoke next,

"Yeah, everyone says that; I draw when I can, keeps my mind…clear".

"How", she was desperate to know, fathom how each of these miracles had been preformed; Big merely sighed and made ready with his old excuse,

"I just take my time over them; I've got loads of it, so I don't rush and let it flow".

"Right", Mighty lapsed into silence, though it was gradually infiltrated more and more by uncomfortable pricklings on the skin of her cheeks as a sudden idea fanned the flames of her desire and would not leave, no matter how hard she tried to quash it. _No good_; the need reached fever pitch and she knew she had to ask, no matter the consequences, "Big?" The cat looked over, wondering for a second why his guest was going a little red before her next words flew out in a torrent, "couldyoudrawme?"

That came as a surprise; Big was trying to consider the request before the armadillo, now blushing furiously as she realised that right now she was in no position to act as a model, tried to cover up as he spoke,

"What?"

"I mean, not right now, obviously; I need to get cleaned up first and something decent to wear"; _shut up, you're babbling, you must sound like a fool_; despite her mental urgings her tongue seemingly wouldn't hold still and she talked on, "I really liked those pictures, I'd love one like that because I can't draw; I can pay and…"

"Mighty", thankfully the cat's raised paw was enough to still her in full flow, "let me answer your questions one at a time; yes I can draw you but it'll take time, I've got, er, something else on at the minute, but when I get time I can, but I don't want any money".

"But, you need…"

"I need nothing I can't get", his tone hardened slightly before relaxing once more, "you like them that much?" That opened the floodgates,

"Big these are amazing", the armadillo was shocked; could he really not know how good these drawings were? "Every one of these must be worth a fortune; if you were sell these you'd…"

"NO!"

Despite herself she'd shrunk back into the chair, shell and strength suddenly no defence as Big shot to his feet, coat bristling and tone like thunder as a nameless anger, or was it fear, galvanised him; she saw with trepidation his fists bunch and flex and in that second feared for her life before, as suddenly as it had come, the anger drained away, leaving Big a smaller, placid Mobian once more. He shook his head as he came back to himself, an apologetic smile breaking over his face as he spoke again,

"Ah, sorry, I get a little, um, nervous about drawing you see; don't like the art circle, you follow?" Mighty nodded, all she could do as she tried to pick up the pieces; what had made Big act like that, what did he not like about the art he drew, no, not the art itself, the people he might find if he showed it wholesale? As she was thinking, he made another observation,

"Well, it's dark now, so light's out; we can get up early and go from there to Mystic Ruins, okay?"

"Yeah, sure"; Mighty fell quiet as Big moved past to extinguish the light from his stove and plunge the room into darkness; she heard him as he moved back, the slight crunches and ruffling noises as he heaved himself into his bed and, a while later, the snores as he fell asleep. Rest did not come so easily to the armadillo however; even when her eyes drifted shut for the last time, still the question would not leave her; _why is Big afraid of people? Why does he live out here alone?_

A/N: And next, Mighty finally gets where she needs to be; can she impress the Chaotix at all?


	10. Chapter 10 Its all Fun and Games

Chapter 10 – It's all Fun and Games.

A/N: My condolences…:

HHH – Ow, been there, done that; mind you, not as bad as my sister; she's broken her nose three times playing basketball, twice playing netball, once playing baseball (don't ask how, please, just don't) and once playing with the dog!

TH – Just a question, but how did you reply to one of my mails at 5:30 am? People shouldn't be up at that time, it should be illegal!

The movement of a small pair of pads across the soft fur of his chest woke him the same way it always did; Froggy left his normal resting place to go and catch an early breakfast of drowsy morning flies and, as a consequence, his movement roused Big. In the normal morning tradition of his home, the cat waited patiently for the toad to leave his chest, moving only when the pair of mottled green legs disappeared over the lip of his bed. Taking a deep breath of the moisture laden air, inhaling the sweet scent of his home, Big mustered the energy necessary and lifted himself up, a few twigs crackling beneath his sturdy paws as he rose into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes, blinking them open as he tried to recall the extra errand he had today; he knew he had one, he was just a little hazy on the details of what it actually involved. He licked his lips and took another breath, the dampness around him now registering in his more aware state; it must have been quite heavy rain last night – he'd have to be careful getting around this morning. _Especially_; his mind suddenly clicked and he looked over at his extra mission, watching as Mighty snored on, oblivious to the rising sun as her dreams continued unabated; _since I've got to get her to Mystic Ruins_. Flipping to his feet, the reeds and moss of the floor muffling the sound, Big stretched off and decided to begin this job by getting breakfast; a light soup should do nicely; _after that, I'll think about starting getting the armadillo awake_.

XXX

Something tickled her cheek and she swatted at it, or would have if there hadn't been something pinning her arms down; she shuffled but this persistent annoyance followed, not letting her continue her lovely sleep, determined to irritate her to wakefulness. A slight snarl of annoyance creased her face and her struggles grew slightly,

"Shoo, s'early"; no good, it still feathered up and down her cheek, flicking over to glance her nose now and that really was the final straw; with a loud snort and half-sneeze, Mighty found herself catapulted back to the land of the living, eyes disorientated as she tried to recall where she was; it definitely hadn't looked like this last night, and what was the big purple thing in front of her again? _Oh yeah, that is Big isn't it_; the armadillo made to stretch as Big turned his back, just in case anything slipped by mistake, facing her once more only when he heard her speak again,

"Urgh, what time is it?"

"Morning", Big assured her, not really sure what hour it was due to his normal reliance on the sun and little things, like Froggy's movements, to tell him things like when to get up and so on, "you get dressed, your things should be dry by now; it's too early to eat and you're going to be flying soon anyway, so no breakfast I'm afraid". Mighty looked over to where her things were still hung where she'd left them the previous night and nodded,

"Sounds good, but nothing to eat?" She put on a plaintive, pleading face, "come on, I'll waste away". Big chuckled at her aggrieved expression,

"One missed meal won't kill you"; Mighty gasped and folded her arms theatrically under the blanket, trying to look offended and stop smiling as she demanded,

"Are you saying I'm fat?" Big smiled as he moved away, his parting words just audible as he moved away through the door and pointed at where she still sat swaddled in her blanket,

"Not sure; though I was wondering how much of that was actually blanket".

"You cheeky…"; the slamming door shut off the rest of her rant, cheating her of a decent comeback and leaving her raging as she pulled her clothes on bad-temperedly, thinking hard about what to do for her revenge.

XXX

The rain from the previous night left the swamp slightly damper than the day Mighty had arrived, but strangely the extra water seemed to have freshened the marsh up somehow; clean puddles of still water were everywhere, crisp and clear enough to see your reflection in, whilst the branches of the overhanging trees were pregnant with hanging dew droplets, the slightest movement enough to send them tumbling to the ground, sparkling in their final fall to destruction and absorbance by the somehow still thirty earth. Though this fresh, clear day, carefully skirting around the more treacherous areas of ground and the larger puddles, Big moved easily, intimately familiar with his habitat as he had been for most of his life. Mighty walked a little way behind him as she had to be a little more careful in her navigations at the same time as think of a way to teach him why joking about a woman's size was a dangerous thing to do. It was as she raised her eyes, looking away from examining the fauna that must have moved in overnight, seeing a diving beetle the size of a penny scoot into deeper water as her shadow fell over the water, that she saw it,

"Hey Big, wait up"; the cat stopped and looked over his shoulder as she put on a burst of speed, deftly dodging tree roots and sploshing through a small puddle as she carefully stood next to where she needed to be,

"Thanks", she panted softly as the cat waited for her to cat her breath and speak again, "anyway, you owe me an apology".

"Why?"

"Don't act dumb", she chided and warned in the same three words, "you insinuated I had a waistline; take that back", she just paused a fraction, just enough to see Big's smile start to flourish, before adding, "or else". It was harshly irresistible; try as he might to form words of penitence, he just couldn't resist saying it, desperate to know what the armadillo could mean by the fatal last two words,

"Or else what?" _Gotcha_; Mighty smiled sweetly and her eyes darted upwards; Big's followed suit and he felt the breath catch in his throat he saw the bombs of his doom arrayed there; before he could spring clear of the target zone, Mighty kicked the tree hard and sent them all falling towards her hapless enemy.

A shower of icy cold raindrops were jarred from their cosy perches and as a consequence were seized by gravity, falling to earth in a mini-replica of the rainstorm that had happened last night. Most of them hit the earth, but to Mighty's eyes a satisfying number splashed down right on top of Big's head and shoulders, flattening his fur to his skin and causing him to gasp in sudden shock. The cat panted as he glared open mouthed at his travelling companion, simultaneously cheesed off that she'd soaked him like that at the same time as realising, well, maybe he should have said sorry. His teeth chattered for a second and he moved his hands to sweep most of the drops he could reach out of his wet fur, a reluctant smile tingeing his lips as he snorted at the triumphant armadillo,

"Okay, maybe I deserved that".

"Too right you did" Mighty chuckled, glorying in her minor victory over her former host as he shook his head and grinned shyly right back,

"Oh well, at least there's no danger of a blanket making me look like a ball".

"You need a blanket for that"; it was out before she could stop it, but to her relief the cat laughed and patted his naturally wide berth,

"Nah, too far gone for that; now come on", he pointed the way and set off once more, "we've still got to get to Mystic Ruins and standing here insulting each other won't help".

"Okay", Mighty agreed, passing under the now dry tree as she got the last word in, "we can insult each other on the move hairball".

"You said it baldy".

XXX

She sized up the task in front of her and, unable to see a comfortable way to overcome it, turned to her travelling companion with a questioning air,

"Okay, question for you", Big looked down at her as she indicated the steep earth bank in front of her, twice as tall as Big and, due to the rain, now covered in a sheen of plastering mud, "how do we get over that without getting covered in mud?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were into that sort of thing", Mighty's mouth fell open, though there was no hint of a smile, sarcastic or otherwise as he finished, "after all, you seem to like swimming in natural water features". Still she couldn't find words; he'd just nailed her good and proper with that quip and she was helpless to defend herself. Seeing this and feeling his heart strings tug, the cat decided to end it there and speak the answer to her problem,

"Well I know how I'm getting up there". Mighty managed to shake off her haze and watch on as Big moved right up to the foot of the miniscule cliff and suddenly began to heave himself up it, moving with surprising agility for his bulk as he clambered from one hidden handhold to another with no effort. _That's a touch impressive_; the armadillo couldn't help but mentally congratulate the cat for that effort as he quickly flipped up and over the lip of the cliff. She shook her armoured head and smiled, placing her fists on her hips as she shook her head, calling up as Big looked down to where she was still standing,

"Okay, let me rephrase that question", she looked up with her hands shrugging, "how do I get up there without getting covered". For an answer, a thin piece of wood was extended down, forcing her to lean to one side as it jabbed down to where she would have been stood; she looked at it closely, just distinguishing the eyelets that studded it before Big roared,

"Grab on"; _oh, his fishing rod_; Mighty recognised the contraption at last; it sure looked different this close than when it had last night, leant quiescently up against one wall of the cats home. In fact, seeing the slenderness of the long wooden wand, she had her doubts,

"Are you sure it'll hold me".

"Perfectly; it's already done it once", Big called back, reminding her of the previous day as Mighty could have slapped her forehead; how could she have missed that one? With a sigh, she grabbed on as high as she could reach and held tight; a second later, there was an increased strain on her arms as she felt her feet begin to lift from the floor and she was dragged off the ground by Big's strength. _Gotta give him credit, I'm not the lightest ever and he can do this, what!_; she felt her eyes bulge as she looked up at the cliff-face top, where Big was slowly hauling her up despite the awkward angle and her not inconsiderable weight; _he's doing this one-handed?_ This observation was still bouncing in her brain when there was a sudden jerk and she was quite literally left swinging in the breeze, Big seemingly content to hold her outwards, parallel with the cliff and grin,

"Right", he gave a small twang on the rod as Mighty risked a glance down; it looked a fair way up from here, "now after that little shower you treated me to, what's to stop me sliding you down this cliff?" Indignation rose up in her emotions, though she was shrewd enough to hide it and speak the truth,

"The fact that if you do, I will stand up at the bottom, scramble up this cliff and beat you to within an inch of your life when I hit the top, that good enough for you?" The cat laughed, seemingly seeing a joke she didn't; she was more relieved when he began feeding the rod in hand over hand,

"You know some people might have taken that beating as a good point"; _is he flirting with me?_; Mighty wasn't quite sure what to say as she was set down, reaching to fiddle with her shoes to disguise the fact Big had managed to wrong-foot her again. As she made up her mind what to do next, Big waited for her patiently to come to her feet and listened to her answer curiously,

"Believe me, people only get a beating from me once", she brazened, hoping she was making the right move with this peculiar specimen of a Mobian, "when they wake up in a nice white bed with nurses all around them, they never seem to remember much about who gave it to them". Big laughed and pointed at her arms as he clipped his rod to his back,

"Judging by those muscles I can see, I'll take your word for it", again she wasn't sure which way to take his words as he finished, "but anyway, enough of this; we've got to get a move one if we want to get to the Ruins soon". With that and her confirmatory nod, the cat set off, Mighty again slightly behind him, thinking hard about what was going on here; what was Big after here, and was she playing the same game he appeared to be, even subconsciously? At the minute, she didn't know.

XXX

"Wait a second", Mighty held up a hand and paused, her ears straining as she tried to work out if she'd just imagined that sound or if, praise to the Lord if it was, it was genuine. _Oh thank you_; the sound of the engine was real, faint but definitely real and a wide grin split the armadillo's face as she looked up at Big, eyes alive as he cocked his head, trying to reach the same conclusion she had,

"Come on, it's close by", excited energy racing through her, Mighty tore through the foliage in front of her, challenging over her shoulder, "race you there". She followed her ears as Big, caught off-guard by the suddenness of the gauntlet, began to crash after her,

"Hey, no fair", the noises behind her almost drowned out those in front, "you got a head start".

"It's there for those that take it", she shot back, speeding up as she vaulted over a large puddle, pulling away from the cat as the noises of blessed civilisation rang ever louder in her ears, the sweetest music she'd ever been privileged to hear, even if the concerto had died down now, she was still waiting for the encore.

XXX

Tails killed the power to the Tornado's engine, conserving fuel as he waited for the early pick-up; since Sonic's late call last night, the fox had set his alarm early and set off for an early pick up, packing the glove compartment of his mecha with a selection of puzzle magazines to make sure he didn't get bored. As he buried his nose into yet another puzzle, he felt a sudden pang of fatalistic regret flare up in his mind; _typical Rouge_; he filled in another square and made sure it didn't clash with his earlier work; _she's turned me into a Sudoku nut_.

She'd lent him a selection of the strange square puzzles once, left the magazine at his workshop and he'd taken a look, just out of curiosity's sake; it had appealed to his logical, linear ways of thinking and he'd had a go at one, then another, then three pages the next day and it had all gone downhill from there. He really liked the challenge of these logical yet so tricky puzzles, but as he just completed the three by three square he'd squared up to minutes before, he realised he'd have to delay this triumph a minute; there was a series of progressively louder crashes from in front of him and that meant only one thing; his pick up was coming closer. He timed them with his keen ears and mentally counted down; _three, two one and…oh, okay, two one and…_; there was a sudden explosion from in front of him, the bushed being mown down as a black shape hurtled through them, looking around and then directly at him as he masked a smile and put on an official voice,

"Mighty Armadillo I presume?"

XXX

"Tails", she felt her heart soar away, no risk of being lost here as she raced over, hearing his words even as she threw her arms around him and planted a genuine smacker on his cheek, "you've come to rescue me from this green and brown hell".

"Hey", Big's indignant voice filled the air as he looked at the pair of them haughtily, "I live here you know". Tails and Mighty shared a glance before she carried on her tirade of woe,

"help me, save me from this serpent in Mobian flesh", she thrust the fox forwards as a shield, Tails having a hard time not laughing as the fake terror in Mighty's voice came once more, "back abomination, to the pit where you dwell".

"If I remember rightly you were very grateful for that pit last night" Big countered, looking smug as Tails felt the grip on his shoulder loosen a touch, Mighty seemingly struck by the comeback, a fact she verified as her voice lost its light-hearted tone,

"Can't deny it", she moved past Tails and headed towards the purple cat, extending her had as she did; Tails couldn't see her expression but assumed it was a smile, "thanks for everything Big, the fish was delicious". Chuckling gruffly, his face more than visible over the crest of Mighty's shell, Big clasped the offered hand and shook gently,

"Not at all; any time you're around, give me call – shout and I'll hear you from pretty much anywhere in the swamp. Tails", the kit looked up at the mention of his name, "you taking her from here?"

"That's what that's for isn't it?" He replied, indicating the parked Tornado; Big merely glanced and smiled again,

"Hope you upgraded the seatbelts; she'll need reinforced bungee cord to stop her getting lost; from the station to the ruins, it's a straight line for goodness sake".

"I went in a straight line", Mighty argued, though she had to offer a slight concession in the form of, "it was a few degrees out maybe, but I would've got there in the end".

"Somehow I'm not convinced".

"I am, and that's all that matters"; realising this could go on for a while, Tails had to interject,

"What matters now is your interview", both older Mobians turn to regard him as he spoke, trying to break up their friendly argument, "they don't like to be kept waiting and we're already a bit behind as it is". Brought back to earth by the reminder, the armadillo started and ran full pelt to the passenger door, wrenching it open in a manner that made Tails wince as she shouted,

"Right, full throttle and don't spare the engine; see you Big, it was nice to meet you". As Tails entered his vehicle and fired the engine, Big waved them off, waiting until the Tornado disappeared into the distance before turning around, heading back to his home, already immersed in memories during the walk.

The drive to the ruins, and the resultant flight, were mostly silent; Tails occasionally darting sidelong glances at his passenger as she looked either ahead or out the window; he was smart enough to realise she was in deep thought over something and probably wouldn't welcome an interruption. Despite himself, Tails turned over the armadillo and cat's parting words to each other in his mind, and had to wonder just what had happened the night Mighty had been missing.

XXX

"I don't like this Vector", Espio spied the Tornado coming in on its final approach and stowed the star he'd been scratching the top of the rock he was sitting on with, face grim as he shook his head, "not one bit". Charmy looked down from where he was flying, arms folded as he made his views plain,

"Espio, the number of things you like could be written on a penny with a paintbrush; why don't you just give something new a chance?"

"I'm with Charm on this one", Vector switched off his stereo and looked at the chameleon, his eyes again showing the surprising shrewdness that he displayed from time to time as he elaborated, "Sonic as a reference's nothin' to be sniffed at; 'sides, not like we can tell them to turn around now is it?" Glancing up at where the two-tailed fox's plane was now clearly visible against the blue sky, the chameleon deferred to the majority vote, though reluctance was etched in every line of his body; seeing this and trying to keep group friction to a minimum, Vector tried to pour oil over the troubled waters,

"Look, she'll be here for what, couple o' weeks max; just long enough to get this stuff shifted an' the orchard pruned to size", the crocodile saw the chameleon flinch, moved in for the killing blow, "an' you know as well as I do we need all the help we can get for that – we'll be choppin' trees 'till Knucks gets back otherwise". Snarling as once again his gut feeling was overridden by crocodilian logic, Espio shook his head again and fell silent, raising a hand to cover his face from the small flurry of debris the landing of the Tornado caused, protecting his sight as Vector simply flipped his sunglasses over his eyes. Charmy, overhead and out the way of such flying clutter, flew over to now stationary vehicle and carefully perched just in front of the windshield, trying to peer through the tinted glass as he always did when the fox visited Angel Island; he had enough time to form a hazy picture before with a hydraulic hiss, the cockpit opened and he was met by the sound of polite chuckling.

"I've heard of bugs on a windshield", the girl in the passenger seat next to Tails spoke, shaking her formidably armoured head as she pointed at him, "but this is ridiculous". She looked up at where the bee was now sat, Charmy scanning her up and down, forming a very quick and pretty accurate guess of this being someone not to mess with before she extended her hand,

"You're Charmy right?"

"Er, yeah", he shook out of instinct, much as his next words were spoken from disbelief, "how'd you know that?"

"Tails filled me in on the way here", she indicated where the fox was now shucking off his restraints ready for a descent to the floor before looking at him square once more, "so, are the other two downstairs?"

"Yep, they're waiting for you; you've got to be Mighty right", she nodded and in familiar territory once more, the bee extended both his arms and offered, "grab on, I'll take you down". She laughed again, the continued mirth further breaking down the bee's idea of just hired muscle as she answered,

"I don't think that's a good idea, unless you like the idea of having eight foot arms by the time we hit the deck".

"Hey", mildly affronted, Charmy flexed his arms and a few minor bumps that might have counted as muscles on a good day grudging poked upwards, "I've handled heavier loads than you in my time; Vector after he hit the all-you-can-eat buffet in Station Square's pizza parlour outweighs anything you've got, no pun intended".

"Okay then; on your shoulders be it", she stood up and extended both her arms; Charmy hovered up and gripped her wrists, took a deep breath then pulled upwards into the air.

XXX

Mighty landed on the soil of Angel Island for the first time, possibly a little faster than she would have liked but, then again, having expected Charmy to plummet like a stone when he'd left the Tornado, she had to admit he'd done an awesome job in the first place.

"Nice one Charmy", the bee looked up at the praise, seeing Mighty smile at him as she traced the route with her eyes, "guess I was wrong; you must have done your fair share of weight-lifting to get me down from there". The bee chuckled as he swung his arms and then pointed,

"From the looks of things, nowhere near as much as you have"; the armadillo looked down at the arm he was pointing at and rubbed her triceps promisingly,

"Yeah well, these are going to make your life a lot easier in the near future".

"I sure hope so", the bee admitted, shuddering at the memory of the days they'd already spent trying to cut down all the trees Knuckles had indicated to them; so far they'd made precious little headway on the gnarled old behemoths, "I never want to look a hickory nut tree as long as I live". Mighty grimaced as though tasting something unpleasant,

"Me neither; I hate hickory nuts; ah, you must be Vector, I'm Mighty".

"So I gathered", Charmy saw the unofficial leader of the Chaotix saunter up, Espio slightly ahead of him but, as per usual, not saying anything as the crocodile raise a hand, "just a sec before we get going; Tails, tell me you've got good news for me". All eyes turned to the fox, Mighty in particular interested as Tails hadn't mentioned an ulterior motive for visiting Angel Island. For his part, Sonic's younger brother shuffled his feet and placed his hands behind his back,

"Well, they didn't stock the double A's you were after…" There was a groan from Vector as he was forced to contemplate the idea of life without his beloved music; his batteries were on their last legs and due to their use of hydroelectricity there was nowhere on Angel Island that stocked any variety of battery – he was reliant on Tails' frequent shuttle runs for his continued musical enjoyment and right now it looked as though he'd been dumped in the lurch. Until, of course, Tails grinned and drew a package from behind his back with a magicians flourish,

"…so I had to settle for four A's instead". The groan was shut off; Vector staring wide-eyed at the batteries as though disbelieving he was seeing them, walking up to the fox as though sleep-walking and reverently stroking the casing. A second after he did so, a wide, slow grin crept over his face and he snatched the packet, raising it to the heavens as if it were a trophy for all time.

"All right; six weeks of hardcore, sound-barrier blasting music action or your money back guaranteed", he stuffed the new batteries into his pouch and slapped the fox on the back, "how much do I owe?" The fox stood up with a pained smile,

"Twelve for the batteries and about three hundred for the hospital bills", he stood to his full height, the vertebrae of his back popping softly as Vector realised his mistake,

"Ah, sorry dude".

"No sweat", Tails assured him before checking his watch and brightening up, "right, I've got to get to Echidnopolis with the rest of the goods; I'll leave you to it from here. Okay Mighty", he tipped the armadillo a wink, "go have a ball". Charmy whistled from his position on high, rolling his eyes as Espio commented dryly,

"Cream, Lara-Le and now Mighty; you've got them lining up Tails – you aught to write a book". The answering smile was caustic,

"Put you down for a copy shall I?" The answering glare alone was enough to terminate that line of conversation; Tails shrank away from the misanthropic chameleon's look of anger and disgust, hastily commanding the Tornado to reconfigure to its jeep mode, he leapt aboard and, after shouting he'd drop the armadillo's bags off at the Chaotix new base of operations, roared off, Mighty waving her chauffer off before turning to the others and putting her hands lightly on her hips, smiling at them all,

"So, where's the job at?"

XXX

In the wake of his departure, Mighty span around to see her three new potential workmates, or were they her future employers, examining her whilst forming their verdicts just as she was them. The silence stretched into minutes before she could bear it no longer,

"So, what's the plan next?"

"Plan", Vector, the one she assumed was in charge, chortled and shook his head, "since when have we ever had a plan; we're walking to work from here and depending on how well you do we'll go from there". _Sounds like a plan to me_; Mighty fell into step with the crocodile as he beckoned her, asking one last question,

"What's the job for today then?"

"Same one it's been for the past two weeks", Charmy answered from above, "tree clipping; twenty eight down, seventeen odd to go". As he sighed at the back-breaking work that lay ahead, Vector shaking his head, both missed the furtive smile that flitted across the interviewee's face.

"So what do you guys mostly do then?"

"Us?" Vector quickly recalled the little speech he'd spent the previous evening making up; above all, he couldn't afford to give Mighty even a hint about the real new job of the Chaotix – far too much was at stake, least of which was the idea of permanent jobs for him and his companions,

"Well we used to be a detective team, P.I's after a fashion, but there's no money in it. So we came up here soon as we could; we're familiar with the rough areas of this patch of turf, so we just keep things tidy. Our boss is away at the minute, but he left us a list as long as your arm to keep us busy, hence why we want a bit of help".

"Your boss?" Mighty tried to remember what little information she'd managed to coax out of Sonic regarding the organisation she was now walking with and a name came back to her, "isn't that Knuckles?"

"Yeah", _and the rest of his family_; Vector cut off that thought, if all went to plan Mighty would never know about the Brotherhood's existence, "he's off on his honeymoon; should be gone another couple of months", a smile split his thick lips as he chortled, "and if Rouge has her way he'll probably need a few weeks off after that just to recover". There was an explosion of giggles from above them and both looked up to see Charmy's flight path wavering erratically as he fought to contain himself,

"Say that", Charmy gasped as he tried to make his words audible, "say that to her face I dare you". Mighty shook her head as Vector, though unable to go white, certainly lost a little of the colour from his cheeks,

"Do me a favour; do I look like I enjoy eating my own teeth?"

"Judging by the way you fought with her sparring, I'd have to say yes"; Mighty shuddered involuntarily as the voice came from close to her left shoulder; Espio's gift on invisibility was unnerving at the best of time, possibly lethal when combined with his ninja skills and biting sarcasm. As he showed his true colour once more, the chameleon turned his gaze towards her, face inscrutable as she didn't dare back down, despite his unflinching stare sending a shiver down her spine,

"Here's a question for you", she braced herself, "what did you do before you came here? And where do you know Sonic from; Shadow mentioned you knew him?"

"Me and the Smurf go back a long way", Vector chortled along with Charmy this time as he pictured the blue hedgehog's reaction to being called that, "met him at a dance school when we were about eight or so; yes I know I don't look like a dancer, but I wasn't too bad at it I'll have you know, and just for the record the first guy who makes a lewd reference to a tutu, or a leotard, will be unceremoniously dropped on his rear end, get it?" Tempted though he was to test her dare, Vector merely kept his face inquisitive as he pressed on,

"Cool, so what about your other work?"

"Oh, that", the armadillo's face fell as she remembered her previous employment with a pang of regret that it had finished so suddenly, "well I used to stack crates and load lorries at a haulage firm, Saracens, but it went bust about three months ago. I've been in the market since then, but there's next to nothing out there so far. It's all desk work and paper shuffling and I just can't do that, I get so bored and depressed it's not funny. I need a physical job, so what you're offering's a good start, though I hear it's not permanent".

"Fraid not", Vector shook his head, "only 'till the boss gets back, then we'll have to let you go, but keep your eyes open, there might be stuff up here for you, we'll certainly do what we can if you work well. And speaking of work, with perfect timing, we're here".

Mighty followed his arm and raised an eyebrow; in front of her was what looked like a small clearing punctuated by small holes, some more recently dug than others, slightly in front of the edges of a forest screen, the bark of some of the trees making up the wall of wood and leaves was marked with what looked like red paint. Her astute thinking let her grasp the problem straight away; all she needed was confirmation,

"Let me guess";_ oh please, please say yes to this – I haven't had a workout like this in months_; "you've been cutting them down, then digging out the roots right?"

"Yes, that's the normal way of doing things", Espio shot back, seemingly irked at her tone as she nodded sagely, a slight smile on her lips as she tapped her fingers together, "you have a better idea?"

"Yep; old family trick of doing this sort of job". The chameleon frowned for a second, thrown a little by her forthrightness, before sliding smoothly to the side and gesturing expansively towards the work site,

"Then please, a demonstration". He was backed up by Vector's less disbelieving voice; the crocodile sounded genuinely interest as he backed up his team mate,

"You got a faster way Mighty; we've been busting our butts on this for ten days – anything you can show us would be a bonus". The armadillo looked up and winked, moving towards her target tree as Charmy, descending to the floor, picked up and offered one of the axes they'd been using,

"Here, this one's still pretty sharp".

"Nah, not for me Charmy", she patted the bee on the shoulder as she declined the offer, though she did speak on as she moved closer to the tree line, "my old uncle taught me this little trick; you better stand back a bit". Mystified, the bee moved backwards to where his two team mates now stood, shrugging his shoulders at them as they looked equally as confused. This confusion only deepened as Mighty seemed to wrap her arms around one of the marked trees as though hugging a dearly loved one; there was a second of silence, broken only by the wind thought the branches, before Espio called over,

"We're not into conservation here; we need these ones got rid of"; there was no answer save the wind picking up; _wait a minute, what wind?_ The air was still, so what was causing the branches to shake; the chameleon looked around again to see the tree Mighty was working on swaying and, he looked down and felt his surprise, no, that was too gentle a word, his shock deepen. He tapped Vector on the arm and pointed, hissing frantically at where the earth around the roots of the tree was beginning to rumple up. The crocodile looked at him disbelievingly,

"You don't think…?" Unfortunately, the rest of his question was lost as Mighty, deciding that was enough loosening of the soil, made the last move.

With a shout that echoed throughout the forest and sent the Chaotix jumping backwards, the armadillo unleashed the power of her back and arms, hurling them upwards, dragging the tree trunk up with them. There was a tearing sound as roots were ripped from the earth, covering her shoes in dirt and mud as she partially succeeded in her goal; some of the roots were exposed, enough to get a grip around the bottom of the tree and that was all she needed; dropping to her haunches, she quickly attained her handhold, concentrating for a second to ready herself. Her observers had just enough time to see her calves and thighs swell as they dug into the turf, her arm muscles writhing like living things as, with a second roar, she powered upwards, her legs, hips and upper body all combined in this effort; as she was showered in earth and dirt and her the characteristic tearing and crack of the taproot being broken, she allowed herself a slight smile as she realised she'd done it; _now to make it look really impressive…_

_Okay_; Vector's mouth hung open as he watched the spectacle before him unfurl; _she's just uprooted a tree, with her bare hands, and on her own – nothing I can't handle_ – _what the hell am I saying – yipe!_ He was paralysed by the suddenness of it all; he'd been chatting to this woman a few minutes before, now she was pulling trees out the ground like they were daisies and he was gawping like a fish as she did so. It was so far removed from anything he'd expected, so far out the bathtub for him, that his legs remained frozen, unable to move even as she turned around, the tree still in her hands like the world's largest pot plant as she managed to growl one word that, despite being muffled by the bark in front of her, still transferred itself quite clearly to the ears of the Chaotix,

"Move". He saw what she was going to do a second later and adrenaline was all that sent him hurtling to the side, shoving a still paralysed Charmy out the zone of impact at the same time as spin to land on his back to admire the sight before him; Mighty squatted a fraction before letting it go, hurling the tree away from her like a caber. Vector marvelled at its slow progress through the air; _how often does a normal guy like me see a tree fly like that?_; before it landed with a loud crash and rustle of falling leaves. The silence that followed the impact was clear as crystal as all three male Mobians turned to stare open-mouthed at where Mighty was now casually dusting herself off, beating away the mud that had streaked her top and shorts, apparently oblivious to their scrutiny.

"Err", she looked up at Charmy's voice, politely smiling as the bee managed a weak grin, "that uncle of yours, was he Scottish by any chance?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah he was", the armadillo agreed beneficently before dusting her hands and examining the flattened Chaotix with a barely hidden grin, "well, that's how I clear a garden; no digging, no chopping and most importantly no splinters going everywhere. So, whatcha think?"

A thousand questions surged into Vector's brain and demanded his attention, but luckily he was cool enough under pressure to ask the most important one first,

"Can, er, can you do that again?" The armadillo followed his shaking finger and smiled as she saw the other trees he was pointing at,

"Yeah, I reckon I can get rid of most of these; a couple are too big though, I'll need a hand with them".

"Right", a flicker of thankfulness rose up in Vector's mind; _Sonic, you answered our prayers with this one_; before he moved back to business mode and tried to sound official, "well, we best crack on then; carry on like that Mighty and you're a shoe-in for this job. We could get this done today". Mighty let her arms drop to the side and her eyes crackled with joy as she repeated,

"You mean I'm hired?"

"Like a shot" the crocodile replied before he'd even though of the words; this armadillo would cut their time out here into about a twentieth if she kept this up, and he for one really fancied just chilling to some tracks in his favourite coffee house rather than being stuck out here digging up trees. With this in mind, he walked over to the muddy armadillo and extended his hand, smiling as she shook it,

"Welcome to the Chaotix Mighty".

XXX

Those two trees Mighty couldn't uproot she pushed against until they lifted up a fraction, letting Charmy as the smallest slip his hands in to attack the tap root with a saw until it was weakened enough for Mighty and Vector together to break and push the tree over. Espio spent most of his time filling in the resultant holes they'd made; Knuckles had pointed out how dangerous that could be for a larger animal, the risk of slipping in and breaking a leg was too great for the holes to be left gaping, so the chameleon sealed them with the earth that had been generated from the newest member of the Chaotix's flamboyant removal of the trees Knuckles had marked for disposal, ensuring nothing could stumble into them. The work, despite Mighty's assistance, was still hard and taxing, and it was well past midday when they were finally done, the last great trunk having been added to the pile Knuckles had instructed them to leave for him to deal with later.

"Right, that's a wrap", Vector looked around the place with an air of satisfaction as he gathered up the last of the now mostly obsolete tools, checking to see he hadn't missed any at the same time as throw a set of keys to Espio, "go get the van here and we'll pack up".

"Wait", Mighty heard the words but hardly dared to believe them, "you've got transport?"

"Yeah, it's a bit battered and second hand but still drives like a dream", Charmy thought of the last car the Chaotix Detective Agency had owned and shivered, "runs basically on water, and it's a hover van, so no danger of flipping over on the drive back".

"Hover van?"

"Don't sweat it, we'll explain what we can on the way", Vector assured the mystified armadillo, remembering all to well how long it had taken him to come to terms with the new technology the echidna civilisation had brought back with them from the imprisonment imposed on it by the first guardian and his nemesis. Charmy cut in on the act as well, offering

"That and a tour around the city tomorrow as well".

"Sounds good", Mighty agreed before indicating her grime-streaked clothing and sighed, "but what I really want now is a bath and a change of clothes".

"Don't we all", Vector agreed, trying to wipe off some of the clinging muck as a van slid smoothly into view, Espio in the driver's seat as he parked up and then jumped out, throwing open the rear doors to let the others pack up the tools they'd brought with them. With a last look around the work site and a satisfied nod, the Chaotix, complete with their newest, if only temporary, member all boarded their transport, Vector gunned the engine and they set off for home. As Charmy chatted away gamely to Mighty, patiently explaining everything he could remember about life on the island, Vector gave himself a mental slap on the back; _taking that call from Shadow was one of the best things I've done recently – this'll give Knucks a reason to be happy when he gets home_. With that thought in mind, the crocodile steered his way for home, happy that he'd done his bit for the safety of Angel Island and its now absent guardian.

Far away, someone else had a reason to be happy, but it had nothing at all to do with aiding the guardian.

XXX

Lien-Da looked up from the computer image, watching as it rotated slowly to allow viewing from all angles; picking up a marker pen, she highlighted various areas as she finished the brief she and her team had compiled,

"Extensive work needs completing on the main housing and the CPU, along with the modifications you requested Lord Enerjak", the cyborg nodded once before the female echidna carried on, "but the information we need is, as far as we can tell, uncorrupted and possibly accessable".

"Then why is it not ours?" Lien bit back a sigh of impatience as her brother demanded answers; he was always so impetuous, wanting answers here and now, never understanding the virtues of the careful way of doing things.

"Because it's well-protected", she spoke simply, tapping the display to zoom in on a particular portion of the hardware her twin had been able to capture from the vault where it had been sequestered, "the programming we're after is incredibly well safeguarded; this is very impressive work, even the Dark Legion should pay respect to it. Though we're a lot better off than we were six months ago, there's nothing we've got that can safely break this sort of shielding down; I have a nasty suspicion that, if I tried, we'd be hit with a virus that would scramble our main network; whoever did this really knew what they were doing and really didn't want anyone poking around with it. We were lucky the CPU was damaged; without that I wouldn't have been able to gain access to the directives and modify them as you requested Lord Enerjak; even now I haven't finished".

"Lien", the mechanical growl pervaded the air as the Central Dogma's eyes glowed brighter, not usually a good sign but here was the exception; Dimitri was excited about something and made that plain with his next sentence, "that emotional development could be crucial; we must have it to advance our cause". His great-granddaughter smiled and decided to bring this to a head; shutting off the display, she faced the grandmaster of the Dark Legion directly,

"I know, which is why I ordered my team to begin a full structural repair of this unit".

"I fail to follow your logic Lien", Dimitri spoke after a short silence, "how does this aid us in gaining this software?"

"You've read the reports as well as I have, you know what this thing is capable of", she replied with a careless shrug, "we trade with it, certain restrictions will apply of course, but we can do it; I know we will have things it wants, things it'll need if that core directive was anything to go by". She saw those four words, blinking in vivid green letters on her screen, the menace behind them almost palpable and shook her head as though trying to drive them out. Her reverie was broken by her brother's voice,

"And since when has the Dark Legion traded with outsiders?"

"Since it was necessary to achieve true enlightenment", Dimitri surprisingly coming down on the side of his granddaughter as he rounded on Kragok, "this could take us one step closer to our goal of deliverance from death – there is no price too high", he turned back to Kommissar and she tried to look those red LED displays head on, "continue Lady Kommissar, you have done well; estimation of time until completion?"

"At current progress, two weeks, maybe slightly longer".

"Keep it up; now come Kragok, we must oversee the construction of the new firearm production facilities; they have been reconfigured correctly?"

"Of course grandmaster; in theory each blast gun generates enough charge to temporarily stun a normal echidna, there is no lasting damage. We have yet to move on to stage three testing however".

"Let us proceed then"; without another word, Enerjak, as Dimitri insisted on calling himself and being called in public, stomped out of the room; Kommissar tried to give her twin a supportive smile as he scowled his way behind the walking cyborg, but as his red bionic eye was off she doubted he saw it. Even if he had, she knew he'd never reply; he was always so serious.

When they were gone, she gratefully slid out of the robes that were standard uniform to each and every legionnaire; the heavy garment hid the body so you couldn't tell how heavily augmented one legionnaire was in relation to another – thus promotion was awarded in accordance with ability, not level of augmentation. The full uniform covered the whole body with a face mask and gloves and was adopted at all times by the lowest levels of the Legion, though the regulations relaxed a bit higher up the ranks; most officers could get away without their face masks, but only one as high as Lien, basically head of the research units, could disuse both gloves and face plate. _And the rest of this kafuffle if I can get away with it_; she kicked the heavy, chafing black material out the way of her footsteps, relishing the coolness even as she knew she ran the risk of being discovered breaking regulations yet again. Still, as she sat down and triggered the rotating display again, loving the feel of the leather beneath her, she couldn't help but feel that, given her recent good behaviour, she was due a little slack; _speaking of which…_ Reminded by the thought, she looked at the digital display on the bottom of the hologram and smiled to herself; she had to get ready for her 'adventure' this evening. _I suppose that's one good thing about the robes_; she chuckled to herself as she dressed once more, however fleetingly, to get back to her private quarters; _they turn Legionnaires into chocolates – you don't quite know what to expect until you unwrap them!_

A/N: I promise, next chapter I'll tell you what the Legion's doing.


	11. Chapter 11 Settling In, Standing Again

Chapter 11 – Settling In, Standing Again.

A/N: Reviewers, I love you all:

HHH – Stay on her good side; nice plan that one; read on to see what happens to those who tick Mighty off…

Ri2 – What went on between those two – was it just a little harmless fun or something a bit more? Hmm, decisions, decisions…

TH – I'm sure it was 5:30 am, about the time I was putting the finishing touches to the last chapter of A Bloodstone Rose; started at seven in the morning, finished at about the same time!

"And this…" Charmy pointed to the building that sat directly opposite them now, Mighty watching on with interest as he casually walked into the road, hardly bothering to check the traffic as there basically wasn't any; even after a few hours of being introduced to the fair city of Echidnopolis by the younger bee, she was beginning to lose the habit of checking left and right if she wanted to cross the road. She followed him as he pushed open the door to the small coffee shop, finishing his introduction at the same time as greet the proprietor,

"…is the Fy Café; that's the Fy in case you were wondering", the echidna at the counter returned the bee's wave and almost habitually, it seemed, turned to the chilled counter to scoop out a strawberry frappacino. Mighty looked around for a minute before sitting down with Charmy at what she assumed was his normal table,

"I take it this is your normal watering hole?"

"You bet; this place does the best frappacino in the whole of Echidnopolis".

"You and your sugar needs", the armadillo chuckled as the owner of this little café loaded up a tray with the bee's unspoken order and walked over to them in time to hear her finish, "if I tried your diet I'd burst my shell".

"You and everyone else but him", the echidna set down the chilled drink as Charmy pulled out a chair for him; as the astonished armadillo watched on, the elder Mobian span the chair around so the back was facing the table, straddled it and sat down as if this were the most natural thing in the world, smiling as he spoke on, "but that's high praise coming from the calorie king over there", he extended a hand which Mighty shook without reservation, "I'm Nate, I run this place, though I have to admit Charmy basically finances it, along with the rest of his mates".

"Well then", Mighty had already scanned the drinks menu, "guess I better add my share; I'll take a black coffee, no sugar". She reached for her wallet as Nate raised his eyebrows,

"You fallen in with this motley crew?"

"For now", she answered with a casual shrug, "just doing some heavy lifting and suchlike; Charmy's showing me around. Nice city."

"Thanks, I sure like it", Nate replied as he left to get the armadillo's order; as he did, Charmy managed to guzzle down the last few slurps of his freezing sugary drink and lick his lips, asking carefully,

"Teri showing up anytime soon? I got his gubbins".

"Really", Nate chuckled as he filled up a clean coffee cup, "yeah, he'll be dropping in sometime; school's out in another couple of minutes as it is and he's always the first one out the door".

"Good for him" Charmy commented before he felt a none-too-gentle tap on his arm; turning around, he saw Mighty giving him a stern but not unkindly stare,

"Do my ears deceive me, or are you using this tour as an excuse to hook up with one of your buddies?"

"Your ears do not deceive you", Charmy played along for a while before grinning, "but the tour stopped with the Admin Centre; that, the EST HQ and the main shopping centres are all you need to know to get by in this place". Mighty had to concede this point; she had realised just from walking around in such a short space of time that Echidnopolis was a lot more compact that Station Square; if you really wanted to you could walk from one end of it to the other in about two hours. With that, Nate brought her coffee over and sat with them for a minute, checking out the newest member of Charmy's friend circle as she did him; this lasted until the front door of the Fy Café was thrown open and a chocolate brown echidna slumped down in the nearest seat, groaning,

"Nate, I need a large lemon slush and so do my legs".

For a second there was only silence save for the heavy breathing of the newcomer, before with a loud chuckle Nate stood up and moved for the counter, greeting his newest customer as he did so,

"What happened to you Teri; never known you show much enthusiasm at sports". The younger echidna looked over from his suffering and winced,

"Let's just say I paid the inevitable price for joking about the island's most lethal fitness trainer".

"Ohhh, busted", Nate laughed out loud as Charmy winced; he knew who Teri was describing even if he'd never actually met her; the P.E. teacher at Teri's school, Nela-Ru, was a woman you heard rumours of and shuddered, "what did you say?"

"I never said anything", Teri defended himself even as he squirmed on his seat, "I just, well, there was a bit of a debate going as to whether she's ever accidentally killed anyone by throwing a skyball at them, it wasn't my fault she overheard me and no-one else". Mighty saw Charmy's shoulders shake before he managed to gain control and ask,

"How many this time?"

"Twenty five laps of the skyball pitch", Charmy and Nate both winced as Mighty tried to remember how far that actually was from what Charmy had told her earlier and Teri gave an agonised gasp as he tried to straighten his traumatised limbs as he finished, "at her pace; she never slackened off once – sitting down now was a really bad idea, I'm never going to stand back up".

"This aught to help", Nate tried to look sympathetic as he passed his younger customer a drink, though he couldn't call himself mortal if he hadn't added, "but that really was a dumb thing to do – you should know she's selectively deaf, and she's only got worse since I was there".

"Oh yeah, she actually mentioned you", Teri looked up as Nate acted coy,

"She, she mentioned…I'm flattered".

"That's not the way she told it; according to her flattened would be a more accurate description – something about a loose skyball, you diving for it and not seeing the post in the way; were you really out for six hours?"

"Yeah", Nate rubbed his nose as he remembered that legendary game well, "I was only lucky I didn't have any teeth knocked out, but I still scored".

"In more ways than one, if the rumours are true; one of the cheerleaders was first on the scene when you woke up?" Nate tapped the side of his nose and gave a knowing smile,

"Maybe, but enough of the past", he gestured to where Charmy was sat; "you've got a deal to make, if you can get up for it that is". Teri looked at the bee's chair and, more importantly, the few feet of floor between in and his own and shuddered,

"No, more walking, legs already turning up their toes; Charmy, come over here, I beg you".

The bee looked over at where his echidna pal was suffering and a sudden idea pinged on in his mind; his eyes darted to where Mighty was finishing her coffee, listening to the conversation even if she wasn't taking part in it, and appealed to her,

"Mighty", she looked over; he glanced at Teri's seat and looked pleading, "could you; I mean he is suffering and all". The armadillo shook her head, but was smart enough to realise that she would need the bee later tonight; she had to keep him as sweet as possible.

"All right, all right"; she stood up and moved over to Teri; the brown echidna glanced up and finally made some belated introductions,

"Ah, Charmy said he might be brining someone with him; I'm Teri-Le, who're you?"

"Mighty", she smiled back as she slid around the back of the chair and stooped to place one hand underneath it, "Mighty Armadillo; now hold on and don't move too much". She watched as he gripped the side of the chair then casually hoisted it, echidna and all, to waist height, pottering back to her table with Teri preceding her, clutching the sides of the seat to avoid slipping before she set him back down and retook her own seat, stirring what was left of her coffee as she waited politely for the inevitable questions.

"Whoa", Teri managed to force through clenched teeth, looking at his friend's new companion with new respect; Vector he could cope with despite their differing musical tastes, he'd not met Espio yet, but this girl was something else, "how'd you do that?"

"Well"; _engaging sarcasm drive_; "I just moved one hand under the seat, then I lifted up and…"

"Ha, ha", Teri countered with sarcasm of his own before leaning forwards, aching legs miraculously forgotten as he tucked them under the seat and leant forwards, "I meant how'd you get so strong; can you teach me – it'd really boost my chances when I go for the cadets in the summer".

"Sorry Teri", Mighty shook her head as he deflated somewhat, "all in the genes I'm afraid; quip and I'll hurt you" she shot suddenly at Charmy, who had the unmistakable smirk of someone about to take something completely out of context and make a joke of it – with a visible effort the bee stopped his mouth running away with him and settled for a commiseration,

"Well she can't help you Teri, but I can", his hand delved into his knapsack and emerged holding white gold in the young echidna's eyes, "guess who dropped in last night?"

"How much you get?" Teri and Nate asked simultaneously, eyes locked onto the sweets Charmy was now dancing between his fingers, hunger in their eyes as Mighty looked at the bee in shock,

"You're selling them mint lumps?"

"Oh yeah; can't get it as strong as that anywhere on this island", Nate breathed, stretching out a hand which Charmy quickly slapped smartly,

"Not for you, at least, not yet", the bee beckoned with his other hand; "did you get what I asked for?" At a nod from Nate, Teri slung his school bag onto the table and opened it, slipping out some colourful paper sheets at the same time the owner of the Fy café removed some similar documents from under his counter, placing them in front of Charmy. The bee hissed in triumph as he removed more mints from his bag and shoved them across the table towards the two ravenous echidnas at the same time as scoop the comics into his possession,

"Nice, pleasure doing business with you gents"; Nate tried to reply politely through a mouthful of mint,

"Likewise" he burbled as Mighty could take it no longer; she laughed out loud as the others looked at her,

"I like that Charmy; get all the echidnas addicted to mints then flog them off at a price; great racket that one", she placed her hands either side of her face as though posing for a mug shot, "I can see it now; prisoner 145-A; crime, possession of half a bar of Kendal mint cake and a gram of powdered Trebors".

"S'not illegal yet", Teri choked through a large block of sweet ice; he swallowed it before continuing, "good thing too; same time next week Charmy?"

"You got it; keep the comics flowing and you get the sweet reward", the bee stood, his business concluded as he gestured to Mighty, "finished yet?"

"Nah", she knocked back the rest of her drink in one then turned to him, "now I am though; we better get back soon, the other two'll be gone in a couple of hours"; _and not a minute too soon_.

Unaware of his companion's hidden discomfort, the bee gave a thumbs-up and headed for the door, calling his thanks over his shoulder as he left the Fy Café. He heard the door close later than he would have if it had just been him alone and that told him Mighty was following. However, by not looking around, he failed to see the almost hungry way the armadillo was regarding him from the rear, summing up further in her mind that he was the one she needed.

XXX

_It has to be Charmy_; she killed the water to the shower and reached for a towel, the burning in her back nearly reaching fever pitch as she cursed her earlier haste and excitement; she'd failed to deal with this need before she left Station Square and now she was paying the price. She stepped out the bath and looked in the mirror as she towelled down her face, looking at herself as she made up her mind about this;_ he's the only one that can – his hands are perfect and I can trust him not to get freaked out – I'm sure he'd keep his mouth shut about what we'd do_. She had to be quick though; with a start she heard the bee bid goodbye to his two friends as they left for the evening; the sooner she started, the longer she'd have.

XXX

"Now I know why you're going to see a cheesy ninja slash movie", Charmy laughed as Vector struck an exaggerated pose before he set his sights on Espio, "but remind me why you're going again?" The chameleon sighed, fed up to the back teeth with explaining this to Vector after he'd expressed an interest in this trip to the cinema,

"It is unlikely, but just maybe there will be a technique in this movie I can adapt and put into practise in the real world – it's a slim chance I grant you, but a ninja should take every opportunity to get an edge". Charmy gave a slight nod and a strained grin; he was fighting desperately not to crack the chameleon a good joke on the grounds a ninja star in the face often hurt. Seeing his friend struggle, Vector took the matter in hand and carefully began shutting the front door of their joint house.

"Right, it'll be late when we get back in; you're to be asleep, okay? Mighty has full permission to do what she fancies if you misbehave and we've all seen what she can do, got it?"

"You bet" Charmy answered with a smile; Vector let his gaze linger on the bee's face a second longer, trying to psyche him out a little, before reassuring himself that the little buzzer wasn't going to act up and stepping across the threshold to the cool night air, Espio already waiting for him. Just before he left, he had to get the last word in,

"I mean it Charmy; no kidding around like you do with us; Mighty's strong but she's also a lady; no crude jokes or anything like that, right?"

"Left"; the bee shot back, shaking his head as the crocodile went through the 'older brother' routine. Finally, both reptiles turned around and Charmy shut the behind them; he leant against it for a second before hurtling into the lounge with a gleeful shout. Vaulting onto the settee, he kicked his feet up and fingered the remote; _yes, all this TV belongs to me now – nothing's going to stop me…_

"Er, Charmy", the sound of Mighty clearing her throat behind him came as a surprise and he started to look over his shoulder; _she sounds embarrassed, wonder what...oh dear God_.

Charmy whipped his head back round. Quickly. He blushed. Fiercely. He wanted the earth to swallow him up. Immediately.

Mighty was stood in the doorway that led to the bathroom. She was only wearing her shorts and a sports bra.

XXX

_Oh no, oh Lord, oh dear…what do I do now?_; the young bee kept his eyes tightly shut, trying to dispel the image he'd just seen even as it seemed fused to his retinas; _she's a team mate, a friend, this is all just an accident_!

"Charmy", her voice was soft and disarming; he relaxed just enough to peek open an eye a crack and unroll from the ball he'd been in slightly, listening to her words as she continued, "it, listen it's okay, you can look".

Swallowing a sudden lump in his throat, the bee took a deep breath and fought his sudden shock down; he rose himself up just enough to see the armadillo, now standing with her arms folded over her chest and giving a small, embarrassed grin that matched her suddenly red cheeks. For a minute, he froze, unable to do anything but look, forgetting decency as Mighty cursed; she should have given him a little warning rather than just appearing in the doorway like that. _Oh well, have to make the best of it from here on in_;

"Come here"; without conscious thought his legs obeyed, Charmy felt his breath and pulse quicken in tandem, his heartbeat pounding in his temple as his heart suddenly laboured to pump hot, sticky blood around his body, force the red fluid past the melted-down mess that had once been the rational part of his brain as only a single thought overrode all other mental traffic; _a virtually half-naked girl is asking me to come over to her – Christ, what do I do next?_ His eyes were on the ground, mostly to hide his own blush, but as he saw the toecaps of Mighty's shoes he realised there was no more time; trying to calm his furious face blaze, the bee let his gaze travel slowly, ever so slowly, up the armadillo's body, seeing the massive knots of muscle in her stomach twitch and flex as though his gaze itself were affecting them, tapping them with reflex hammers. He sped up, not daring to linger higher for fear of being called immodest though he knew she had been the one to initiate this ritual, before he really knew he'd done it, he was looking into the armadillo's eyes,

"Yes"; his tongue seemed to have enlarged itself, suddenly engorged with blood, making speech difficult; he licked his lips, suddenly and acutely embarrassed to be this shy in front of her, "yes Mighty, what did you want?" _Oh man, if she says it, I'm really up the creek without a canoe, never mind a paddle, this is out of my depth_; she was silent for a minute; maybe feeling the same way he did, but eventually, she spoke,

"I want you Charmy"; _eek – I'm gonna lose it to a team mate…_; "I need you to help me; I've got a problem and you're the only one who can help me", her expression was pleading, he knew he'd never be able to refuse, he'd do whatever she asked, "will you Charmy?" There was only one thing he could do; he licked his lips once more, took a deep breath and then nodded, just once, in total silence. No words were necessary.

XXX

A sudden hand on his shoulder caused Espio to stop; he looked up at Vector to see what he'd been both expecting and dreading; the crocodile had his face raised and his eyes screwed shut in a manner that caused his lips to peel back, exposing rows of sharp teeth in a dread grimace.

"All right", the chameleon turned on his heel and started walking back the other way, "what did you forget this time?"

"I didn't"; the crocodile growled, shaking his head in disgust, "you did; you'll never sit through a movie without your cough sweets will you – I'm not sure about the way cinemas work up here, but down in Station Square they don't sell those at the kiosk". Espio was about to argue, but then he slapped his pocket and realised with horror that Vector was right; _I was going to get them from the table as we left – Charmy knocked into me, I must have forgotten then_. Snarling with impatience and self-frustration at his lapse in concentration, the ninja hurried after the already moving crocodile, grudging apology halfway to his lips before Vector cut it off with a short slashing gesture,

"Save it frilly; we always set off early just in case, we've got time to run back. Besides, we get to make sure Mighty's keeping an eye on the buzz-boy". There was a thought that made Espio smile,

"After what she did at the orchard; I bet he's jumping to her every word". Vector chortled and nodded in agreement; Charmy wouldn't be getting up to anything with the armadillo in charge; that was the bottom line. However, if Vector had been able to see what was going on at there destination, where Mighty had finished whispering instructions into the young bee's ear and turned her back, fingers reaching for the clasp of her top, maybe he'd have redressed his guess.

XXX

The jangle of the keys from the pocket flashed the chameleon's danger senses; he whipped out a hand and stifled the clinking metal twigs, hissing a warning as he did so,

"Quiet; maybe we can sneak in and out; no-one sees us, no need for explanations". Nodding at the foresight even if he couldn't see it working in practice, Vector whispered back,

"Right, you go in then; I'll hold the door, cool?" Espio nodded once and watched as the crocodile inserted the key to the lock slowly, as silently as possible as he made ready to slip inside. The lock suddenly clicked open, Vector's powerful hand easing the front door open with surprising care, a fraction at a time; just as it was wide enough and Espio made to slip in unnoticed, camouflage already in place, something came through that threw all their plans right out the window,

"Charmy", the name was followed directly by a happy, contended sigh, "you really are a natural at this".

Both reptiles stopped completely dead, horror and sheer, outright denial, disbelief was far too gentle a term, sweeping right through them; they could not have just heard what their ears had told them they'd heard. But, almost as soon as they'd convinced themselves they were wrong, the answer came to shatter all hope of that,

"What can I say; nimble fingers".

"You got that right", the armadillo replied before falling mercifully silent; Vector moved his head without feeling his neck move, turning to see Espio's expression mirroring his own; ninja emotional training not up to the task of masking this kind of bombshell impact. Words fled both of them; it was only when he turned back around that he realised he'd forgotten to ease off pushing the door too and it was now three-quarters open. Without thinking, brain too busy trying to restore air to the lungs, he slipped inside, following Espio as the chameleon led; he was shutting the door with infinite care, even more softly than he'd opened it, when a sudden shuddering hiss made him pause,

"Ahaha", there was a second's silence, which the crocodile used to shut the door fully, "careful, that skin's tender".

"I guessed; bet it doesn't get fresh air often". _Oh please no_; Vector screwed his eyes shut and covered his mouth with his hands; _anything but the pillow talk_.

As that thought crossed his mind he found he suddenly had to clamp down on his jaws even harder – he suddenly wanted to do nothing more than laugh out loud. As he clumsily pirouetted around, he saw Espio in a similar state, covering his lips with a single hand as he pointed to the hallway leading to the front room. He was mildly indignant at this; after all Mighty and Charmy both had individual rooms; he and Espio bunked together – surely they could've…

"So how often does this need doing?" Espio, a little closer to the fateful door, stopped, shoulders shaking at this as Vector squeezed his mouth together even more tightly, the giggles threatening to rupture his lungs if he didn't let them out soon; _boy Charmy, of all the times to ask_…

"Depends", the first doubts to the reality of this began to petition their existence; Mighty's voice was too conversational, even if she was half an octave higher than normal, "it's not too bad now, but come summer maybe three times a week".

"She'll kill him"; that observation from Espio nearly broke him; tears pricked the corner of his eyes as his entire body heaved with silent laughter; he couldn't even stamp his feet to relieve the internal pressure, settling for bringing his fists down on the air like twin hammers as he fought to not embarrass his friends. At least, not yet; Espio must have come to the same conclusion he had as his earlier smile had disappeared and he moved up to the door; it was already ajar, allowing them to slowly, ever so slowly, lever it open and see the sight before their eyes.

_Right, relax, panic over_; though the klaxons were shut off in his mind, he still doubled over with helpless hysteria at the scene in front of him. From what he could see, Mighty was lying on her front and, that was strange; rather than being smooth like normal, her back appeared to be ruffled up; she resembled Shadow somewhat from this angle. He had to wait for the lingering moisture in his eyes to dry up before he could clearly see what was happening; the overlapping plates that made up the armadillo's natural amour plating were raised, levitated a little, exposing a chink in her armour. And into that chink, the figure kneeling by her side but fortunately still facing away from the pair of on looking reptiles, was slowly rubbing what looked like a cloth; Charmy carried on his work as he removed his hands and washed the rag in the basin of warm water by the side, blissfully unaware of his audience until,

"WHATTHEBLOODYHELL'SGOINGONHERE?"

XXX

_Enemy!_; before she'd even had time to consciously register the voice, Mighty's natural instincts had taken over and run the show; she was on her front and her plates were up; she was vulnerable and that made her easy meat. Muscles in her back, as well developed as at any other point on her body, swung into the fray with full force; her shell snapped back into place with the force of a mousetrap. _Damn_; she cursed mentally as she realised the shock of that call had tensed her; she wouldn't be able to expose herself like that for at least another half-hour until her muscles eased off. Still it wasn't all bad news; something had stopped two of the plates fitting together properly and that meant…it was only when the yell of pain reached her ears that she realised the obstruction probably compromised a couple of Charmy's fingers.

XXX

He'd been a lost cause before, but the look on Charmy's face as he'd turned around was the last straw; Vector collapsed completely, the sudden devolution of the bee's expression of shock into one of pain just fuelled the fire; he virtually bellowed with laughter as Charmy grabbed his trapped wrist with his other hand, straining at it for freedom as Mighty tried to crawl forwards; eventually, the bee's hand shot free, though his glove was still caught, dangling from the armadillo's back like some kind of flag as Charmy stuffed his aching fingers in his mouth, shooting to his feet and dancing a rapid tattoo of pain as he sucked them furiously, glaring at the two Mobians who had caused this as Vector fell to his knees and Espio merely stood there, a superior smirk touched by humour on his lips. Mighty, dignity now in tatters and feeling cheesed off about it, stood up and, folding her arms across her still covered chest, turned to glower venomously at the pair, face ablaze.

"What was that for; we were in the middle of a delicate operation".

"Never sounded like it", Espio admitted, unable to resist a smile as he finished, "from the hallway it sounded like you were in the middle of something else".

It was the deadpan tone that did it, any other type of voice would have brought furious denials, agonised excuses and other such bread and butter staples of embarrassment, but not this one; Mighty and Charmy looked at each other, held the reflective gazes for a second, then both broke down, joining Vector on the floor as the implications sank in riotously.

"Chahahaharmy", Mighty just about struggled to her knees, pointing as the bee gripped onto a nearby chair for support, "sorrehehehe, b, but you're not my thahahahahaype".

"Baby", the bee somehow managed to plaster a pseudo-seductive glint into his eyes and run a hand through his antennae, his voice rich and deep, "for you, I could be anythihihihing". Mighty fell to all fours, virtually screaming with laughter as she pounded the floor, sending the coasters on the table rattling.

It seemed to last forever; the hysterics were like a deadly laser beam that reflected from one member of the Chaotix to the other, though Espio seemed to be able to handle it with no other ill effects than a huge grin and the odd snicker. Each Mobian laughed like they wanted to break their lungs and for a horrible moment it seemed like they might; each had a few seconds where they suddenly went rigid, gasping for air like a fish out of water before finally managing to suck in some oxygen and carry on howling with laughter. Eventually, however, with his arms shaking and tears on his cheeks, Vector heaved himself up and flopped over the side of one of the chairs,

"Ohohoooowww", he lolled to the side for a minute, breathing quickly as his body sought to re-oxygenate itself, "I ache!" Charmy manage to pull himself into a sitting position, strangely light-headed after that marathon laughing session as he tried to locate something to fall against and drag himself to full height with.

"There should be laws against laughing that hard", the bee declared woozily before seeming to realise something important, "wait a sec, what are you two doing back?"

"We came to get my throat lozenges" Espio answered before smirking at Mighty, the armadillo still not off the floor yet, "but we came back to a far more entertaining show; what were you doing anyway?" Realising there was no feasible way to wriggle out of this one and unable to think much anyway, she decided to be honest,

"I need someone to clean under my shell", she took a breath before explaining more fully, "grit and other rubbish gets lodged under there and I can't reach it, so someone else had to get it out. It's a ticklish job because the skin under the shell's sensitive, so I decided to let Charmy have a crack tonight because I didn't think you'd be around; it takes a lot for me to relax enough to open up like that".

"How come you never told us this before?" Vector asked from his chair, finally convincing his shaking legs to let him stand up as Mighty shied away, troubled by this,

"Well, it's not the, er, the sort of thing you want out is it? I can't clean myself properly; there's a major turn-off before you even get to drinks; makes people treat you like an idiot". Hearing this, Charmy stood up, a little wobbly maybe, but he managed it; he walked over to the seated armadillo and put his hand on her shoulder,

"Mighty, we're the Chaotix", he said simply, explaining as she looked up, "you can tell us pretty much anything; what happens between us stays between us – there are no secrets here, even for you, okay?" Smiling, genuinely made happy by the generous offer, she clasped his hand, stopping the pressure as soon as she felt his hand twitch,

"Thank you Charmy, and you two", she added, remembering Vector and Espio in the nick of time, "that means a lot". Everyone nodded before Vector suddenly clapped once and pointed at the clock, face regretful but at the same time nonchalant,

"Well, we'll never make the White Smoke Cutter now, so we might as well turn in soon; we're heading back out tomorrow to deal with some of the ruins Knucks said want looking at". There was nodded agreement to this all around, the foursome sitting together and watching a little TV before finally retiring for bed.

XXX

Once more, a job that Vector had gloomily predicted taking them the better part of a week was done in a day; Mighty was more than capable of supporting boulders that would have otherwise have required hoisting into place with a lot of rope, effort and bad language. The armadillo lifted the larger chunks of rubble into place while the rest of the Chaotix secured them firmly with nearby vines cut to size; Vector explained Knuckles had shown them which ones to use, these naturally grown ropes were almost as strong as bound steel and would last years.

"Just as well", Charmy grunted as he wormed through the gap between the slab of rock Mighty was supporting by a corner and the floor, a trail of green vine dangling from his hand, "I'd hate to have to do this more often than that".

"It's not that bad" Vector countered mildly, taking the rope from Charmy and pulling, drawing the two vines he now had in both his hands slowly closer together; when they were close enough, Espio whipped into action and tied them together with a knot that, despite days of trying and virtual tears of frustration, neither of his team mates had ever been able to undo. As he stepped back and nodded, Vector slowly relaxed, feeling the tension in the fibres and shaking his head,

"Nah, I'm not sure that'll hold on its own; need a couple more at least", he turned the pair of feet he could see behind the rock pillar and raised his voice slightly, "you okay with that Mighty?"

"Fine", came the reply; the feet shifted a little before her voice was heard again, "how many more after this one?"

"Just three or four, and only Esp and Charmy can touch two of them; they're right in the nooks and crannies and shouldn't take long".

"Sweet; well then, get on with it; I've got better things to do than stand around here all day".

"Like the ironing for instance?" Charmy snapped at the opportunity as he took another vine and made his subterranean journey once more; a toe flicked out towards him as the armadillo snapped back grumpily,

"Can't believe you guys are making me do that – why can't I get Espio's job?"

"Because Esp can get right up onto the ceiling; he's the best at dusting by a long shot – Charmy always misses spots".

"But I'm an awesome window cleaner right Vec?"

"You said it, now come on", the crocodile chivvied the bee along, reaching for the rope he was bringing as Espio passed him his contribution, the chameleon's vine snaking over the top of the stone, "we get this done quick enough we can sort the chores out today and have a slack day tomorrow".

XXX

A short time later, Espio dropped from the ceiling of the Chaotix's shared home, twisting to land agilely on his feet with the dusting cloth in his hand. He swept his eyes around the room and gave a single nod; _mission accomplished, the house is dusted to perfection_. However, as always when dusting like this, there was a price to be paid; the ninja was parched due to the dust he'd dislodged and needed a drink like there was no tomorrow. Coughing dryly, Espio headed for the kitchen, only to pause at the small mountain of what looked like freshly laundered clothes that were neatly stacked on top of one of the kitchen chairs. He flicked the cold tap on, reaching for a glass as he worked out what was going on; he was, however, prevented from thinking too far ahead by a sound from the next room; swigging the cool water and feeling it wash the dust from his throat, the chameleon watched as Mighty came in, holding a stack of newly pressed laundry and carefully adding it to the pile she'd made, nodding to Espio as she spoke,

"Finished?"

"Yes", the chameleon's natural sarcasm rose to the fore, "otherwise I'd still be up on the ceiling wouldn't I?" _The lowest form of wit_; Mighty let the words bounce off as she fixed the reptile with a stern look,

"Right, well get the kettle on, I'm nearly done as well and I need a cuppa after that lot", she put her hands on her hips and shook her head, smirking slightly, "you know for guys who don't wear much, you lot sure kick out an impressive amount of ironing".

"It's mostly bedding and towels though", Espio reassured her, though he had to add, "though I must admit you've done better than I can; anyone who can deal with Vector's socks without resorting to a gasmask and knuckledusters has to be doing something right".

"It's all about trust and building a positive repertoire with the savage beasts", Mighty played along, then she suddenly smacked a fist into her palm, "then jumping on them as soon as they've got their backs turned; get them under the iron and the fight goes out of them".

"What have you got left to do?"

"Just the pillow cases, but I've got a suspicion there's something hiding out in one of them; feels kind of hard so it might be a breeding ground". Espio snorted with a barely contained laugh as she left to finish her job; he sipped his drink and tried to work out what he needed to practise next this evening when there was a loud crash from the front door.

XXX

Grocery shopping wasn't too bad a job because, due to his notoriously bad memory for little details, in a moment of brilliance Vector had instigated the simple practice of sticking a piece of paper on the front of the fridge; if someone took the last of something, they wrote it on that list and when he carried out his weekly allotted task, he remembered to replace it. The system had worked flawlessly, until now; he'd been halfway home when, just checking the list again, he caught the note, scrawled in very tiny handwriting at the bottom of the list, reminding him to buy extra rations as there were four housemates now rather than three. So, after traipsing back into town again, arms already laden with heavy shopping, to pick up enough food for an extra hungry mouth, all Vector wanted to do now was collapse. He stumbled through the front door, just about remembering to register and reply to Charmy's hello, and lurched for the kitchen, carefully placing the bags of groceries in the hallway as he gratefully fell down into the nearest seat, giving a lusty sigh of relief as he did so,

"Ahhh, been looking forwards to that all day", he managed a contented smile as Espio regarded him crookedly, the kettle in his hands seemingly forgotten until Vector, blissfully oblivious to his approaching, impending doom, nodded at it, "if you're makin' one, I'll have a brew".

"Okay, but you might want to…" Vector furrowed his brow as the chameleon suddenly cut off and cringed at something, malicious mirth on his lips as he ended with a mournful, "too late!"

"Too late, what's that mean?"

"It means", Vector froze as though someone had dripped water as cold as that voice right onto the back of his neck; gulping suddenly, he turned around to see Mighty stood behind him, arms full of a few folded up pillow cases and Looking at him venomously, "it's too late for you to try anything but run"; Vector looked down and finally realised why the seat had felt so soft; he was sitting on what once might have been a pile of nicely folded material but was now squashed out of any vague idea of shape – he looked into Mighty's blazing eyes as she roared, "you've got until I put these cases away; then if I get my hands on you I'll turn your hide into a handbag!"

XXX

It all happened too fast for him to accurately follow; one minute he'd been sitting quietly, reading his daily paper and sipping a coffee; the next he'd been seized roughly by the shoulders and some huge green thing was screaming in his face, drowning out the frantic jangling and crash from his door frame and door bell,

"Hide me! Hide me for the love of anything! HIDE ME!" Nate just about managed to conjure up a very hasty picture that this might be Vector, though he'd never seen the croc this panicked, before he felt something rub against his leg; somehow without him realising it, Vector must have vaulted over the counter and was now trying to crawl under it, hiding from something terrifying as Nate reflexively pushed himself away, shaking his head as he asked dazedly,

"What? What's going on?"

"Shush; I'm not here", the leader of the Chaotix tried to curl into a ball as his fright-crazed eyes met those of the café owner, trying to convey the necessity for secrecy as he hissed, "if anyone asks, I'm not here; tell them anything and for heaven's sake don't let her get me, please I beg of you". Still mystified but driven by the simple motto of looking out for his friends and customers, Nate slipped off his stool and grabbed a nearby cloth, moving for the nearby tables on the pretence of giving them a wipe down; he'd just started on the first of them when the door opened again, though fortunately nowhere near as violently as last time,

"Hello Nate"; the echidna almost thought he heard a strangled whimper of fear from nearby as he looked up to see, with a fair shoot of consternation, Mighty bearing down on him like a freight train. Swallowing his apprehension, he tried to act to casual,

"Hey Mighty; what can I get you?"

"I want information"; she rebuffed his offer of a drink like it was an annoying fly and met his eyes square on, growling her next words, "have you seen Vector about?"

He couldn't help it; in the few seconds he was preparing his answer, his eyes bounced to the counter where the croc was lying low – he snapped them back to the armadillo as soon as he was able to, but he couldn't change the fact that Mighty surely must have picked up on his slip. To give him his due though, he struggled on in a would-be nonchalant manner,

"Yeah, I've seen him about", he had to really fight hard to resist giving the game away further with another look, "he was here earlier actually; he had a slush before he hit the stores".

"But you haven't seen him since right?" The fact she was sliding over to the counter herself made him suspect the worst, especially when he looked just behind her and saw with a jolt of shock that there were a couple of inches of scaly green tail poking from behind the sturdy structure; obviously Vector was too big to get all of his body behind it; _and now he's about to pay the price_. Full of fatalistic resolve, Nate made one last-ditch effort to save the big lug's bacon,

"He's probably still hitting the stores", he tried a change of tack with a sudden inspiration, "why? What are you looking for him for?"

"Oh, not much", Mighty's face belied that; Nate was sharp enough to realise she was after him for something huge even as she carried on, "just going to show him that it's a good idea to look before you sit, or in this case", she flicked her eyes over her shoulder and Nate saw her smile turn into an evil leer as she stepped backwards, bringing her foot down onto the exposed reptilian appendage, "before you stamp!"

The echidna winced as the foot made contact, and winced again as there was a sudden loud crash and his till jumped an inch off the counter top. A low rumbled bellow of pain echoed throughout the Fy Café, drowned out a second later by the armadillo's demand,

"Come out of there Vector; don't make me come in after you or I'll get really ticked off". With much growled, grumbled and pain-wracked mutterings, the crocodile complied, looking a grimy, dusty sight as he lurched upright into view, trying to hold both his tail tip and his head at the same time as trying to focus on the incensed armadillo in front of him as she glared up and tapped her foot,

"Right, you do realise why you deserved that; I spend an hour getting all that stuff pressed neatly then you come and flatten it with your…"

"Okay", the croc groaned, cutting her tirade off as he hissed as he fingered his sore head, "I'm sorry, I should have looked, but I'll make it up; I'll redo everything I messed up, but first I need an ice pack and a decent drink; Nate, hit me with my usual".

"Black coffee for me" Mighty chipped in; the echidna scurried behind the bar as Vector dropped into a seat, still stinging at both ends as he suddenly glared at the armadillo,

"What was that for Mighty? Okay I messed up a bit, but there's no need for that kind of threat and retribution". She nodded, a little shamefaced,

"Nah, maybe not, but hey, I hate ironing and that was really hard work on my part; I had to do most of that twice to get it completely right; I hate having my hard work ruined. Make you a deal; you don't screw up and I won't break you in half, how's that?"

"Missing an apology, but otherwise fine; I already said sorry for my part".

"Right", Mighty reached for the coffee Nate had provided and clinked the rim of her cup against Vector's plastic lid, "sorry for the pain; now that's it, matter dead and buried".

"Much like I nearly was"; she giggled at the quip,

"You can't be that badly hurt if you can still make lame jokes like that", she took the first sip as Vector was forced to concede a smile,

"We finish this, then we get back, get some chow and do whatever it is we feel like doin'", he gingerly touched the top of his head again and screwed up his face before finishing, "I was gonna say we tackle one of the pyramids tomorrow, but I think I'm gonna need that day to recover".

"You the day before and me the day after; you have no idea how much sand under the shell irritates" Mighty complained before sighing, "still, if you can handle that, I'll have to get on with the sand; I use to hate field trips to the beach as a kid".

"Bet that made you popular".

"Like a mouse in an elephant enclosure".

"Ouch"; the conversation drifted on from there – as Vector would say in later years, amazing what you could learn from someone once you sat down with them rather than trying to beat each other black and blue. It was dark when the two were finally shooed outside by Nate; the echidna didn't mind extending his opening hours for his friends, but even he had his limits. Much better friends than they had been a few hours previously, armadillo and crocodile both headed for home, dinner and a comfortable bed after that, not knowing that events out of their control were about to impose themselves on their lives, ultimately endangering them both, together and alone.

XXX

Finally, it was all prepared; the captured unit was displayed on a table in the centre of the room, being looked over by three members of the same family and some assembled honour guards. The restoration had been well done; the newly recreated bodywork shone in the dim light, though there was no life in this inert shell now; at least, not yet.

"All safeguards are in place?" Enerjak grated, turning to look at Kragok; the still partly flesh echidna returned the gaze with his own mechanical eye as he answered,

"Yes lord, we are in no danger".

"Very well", he signalled to Kommissar to return to his side, away from the monitors she had been overseeing, checking everything was ready for this rebirth, for both the unique android in front of them and possibly the Legion as well; if they could convince this unit to pass on its knowledge, its singularly perfect technology to them, they could begin the long process of upgrading their technology to incorporate emotion, further freeing their robotic bodies from existing within the purely logical, further undermining the arguments of the guardians and those who would, however much they might deny it, ultimately side with death. From within his Central Dogma, the arcane machinery all at once sustaining his life and extending it, the grandmaster of the Dark Legion felt his excitement rise; for once Lien-Da had surpassed herself, restoring the battered machine to full effectiveness a full four days ahead of schedule, despite the need for further modifications to the core directives of this single-minded droid of destruction.

As soon as his great-granddaughter skidded to a halt beside him, he used his atrophied powers to begin the process; depressing one of the switches on the panel in front of him, he set up the force-field that would ensure their safety; the shimmering bubble would repel anything that approached it, from outside or within. Then, with only the barest hint of hesitation, remembering the after-action reports of this thing he was about to bring back from the dead, it's potential for destruction and spreading of death, he trusted in his foresight and depressed the other, sending the activating charge into the robot.

At first it appeared nothing happened; nothing changed save most of the honour guard letting out well-disguised breaths into the pause. The silence descended into seconds before there was a rattle from next to him; Kragok, a warrior to the core with little knowledge of technology beyond that which could be used to crush your opponent, rounded on his twin sister,

"Well, what…" he cut off, glancing up suspiciously as the lights began to dim above his head, "what's that, what's going on?"

"It's drinking in extra charge", Lien spoke back relatively calmly, though there was a veneer of slight apprehension in her tone as she watched on, the darkness deepening all around her, "it's refilling its internal batteries".

"And bleeding our reserves dry in the process" the male echidna answered in the darkness before Dimitri's new mechanical growl silenced them both,

"Children, it does not do to behave badly in front of guests". It was only when they both looked around, not quite grasping what their great-grandfather was getting at, that they saw what had changed in the darkness.

Ahead of them, another pair of eyes had blinked into life, staring at them as their owner sat up from the table he had lain upon. Running a swift self diagnostic programme and finding no errors, the repaired unit scanned his surroundings and, seeing the knot of echidnas in front of him, decided to make his introductions,

"Who are you and what am I doing here? Answer me", his lethal claws tapped the metal sides of the gurney at the same time he powered up his in-built lasers with a high-pitched whine and strode towards the assembled group, seeing them shrink closer together in fear of his power, "or you will all die".

A/N: Any idea just what that sentient, vaguely emotional unit the Dark Legion salvaged was yet? (Hint: Ri2 – yep!)

Plus, that last bit was for anyone who's ever had their ironing pile knocked over by anyone, such as partying flatmates; in a perfect world, revenge like that would be legal!


	12. Chapter 12 A Trio of Nightmares

Chapter 12 – A Trio of Nightmares.

A/N: reviewers as always (P.S. – Something just caught my eye last time I logged into my account; AODAI had 666 hits; anyone think that's some kind of omen?)

HHH – School getting you down huh? Well tell you what; if you've got a bit of work that's getting you down, drop me a line at my hotmail address and I'll see what I can do; Biology's my strong point, but I'll have a go at anything :-).

RGN – Only two left then; that's a shame, they must be a fascinating group of creatures to study. Anyway, a couple of questions for you, one of them going to make me look really dumb to an Australian; firstly, is a wombat a marsupial, and secondly does a puggle mean a baby (told you it was dumb)?

Ri2 – As I said earlier that ironing bit was written from the point of view of someone who's had an hour's worth knocked over and ruined; believe me compared to what I felt like doing Vector got off lightly!

TH – Your request is my command…:-)

A flashlight, housed in the upper left shoulder of the Central Dogma, winked quickly into life, illuminating the scene before them, focussing on the pair of red eyes that now loomed threateningly from in front of them. The strong beam of light was reflected back from the polished blue bodywork, lovingly restored by Lien-Da and her team, and stainless steel joints of the repaired metallic doppelganger, the robotic hedgehog swinging his head around to scan the other cyborg with greater detail, though the force-shield interposed between them was hampering his abilities.

"Greetings Metal Sonic…" Dimitri began the introductions but was cut off by a growl, higher pitched than his own mechanically generated voice and somehow more threatening because of it; the robot had raised on hand extended the claws, diamond edged and glittering harshly in the light that illuminated him,

"Never mention that name in my presence", Metal demanded menacingly, "I am Metal, or Mecha; the hedgehog will never be named by me until I fulfil my core directive. Now answer my question; who are you? You are not one of the fat man's creations I can see that; what manner of creation are you that is both organic and mechanical?" Deciding to dispense with the pleasantries, the grandmaster locked his eye with that of the assassin droid,

"I am Enerjak, grandmaster and Lord of this, the Dark Legion".

"Nice title"; _so it's true_; the grandmaster felt excitement that he'd not felt since returning to the land of the flesh from his long imprisonment; _the use of sarcasm implies understanding of emotional context and application of that emotion – that should not be possible for a robot_. Quickly storing his excitement away, the metallic echidna continued,

"Thank you; you are wondering, no doubt, as to why we have gone to the trouble of unearthing your remains and restoring you to full functionality?"

"Not really", if anything, Metal seemed bored, raising one of his hands and microscopically analysing each of the claws on it to see if it would be possible to sharpen them any further, "why is not an issue; the issue is what shall I do now I am restored".

"Showing some gratitude would be a good start"; the robot looked up, assessing the speaker and categorising him according to risk; though the claw on his arm afforded him great strength, he was a low risk for one of Mecha's formidable armament and cunning. However, he certainly had some fire in him, that he couldn't deny,

"Very few even try to order me around now dreadhead"; _potential for gaining information, falsehood suggested_; acting on the idea and realising that the circumstances he found himself in now contradicted those he had previously encountered, the robotic hedgehog lowered both his hand and his head, "but I am curious as to some of the facts I see before me; an exchange of information would be mutually beneficial".

"So it would, and you have information that would be most beneficial to us" the echidna in the tin can answered; Metal stored the information that he outranked the clawed echidna and seemed to be the leader of this motley band before inquiring,

"Very well; I shall begin. I see you are all echidnas, yet I was informed the race was extinct save a single member, the guardian Knuckles".

"Circumstances have changed recently", Enerjak spoke again, "we have returned from our exile, the civilisation of the echidnas lives once more".

"Interesting", the robot's monotone dipped a little; the grandmaster's guard rose instinctively, "how many are there now?"

"Enough to be getting on with"; Dimitri knew better than to give numbers – he'd read what this robot was capable of and the knowledge that he was restored once more troubled him, regardless of the number of safeguards programmed into him anew, "now time for our question; how did you come to be in such a lamentable condition when you were found?"

The eyes had it; the sudden flare, the robotic equivalent of a pupil dilation, confirmed what all present had prayed for; that the robot before them was capable of, if not acutely feeling, at least understand emotions and reacting to them. Nothing changed in Metal's voice, though his claws flexed menacingly as he growled,

"I failed to fulfil my directive; that will be sufficient for you".

"Says who?" Lien flipped her hair back behind her ears and glared at the glowing red eyes she could see; taken slightly aback, Metal was silent for a few seconds before letting a low, mirthless chuckle slip through the air.

"Says the one who will leave you in several bloody pieces if you enquire further, good enough for you?" The spine-chilling menace he was able to put behind that dead voice was enough, only just enough but enough regardless, to convince the echidna to back down, though he gaze remained steady as she heard her great-grandfather speak once more,

"Few call you by the name of your nemesis; fewer still threaten my third-in-command in the heart of our base and live to bear witness of it".

"Lucky me", Metal snickered with malice; for once Lien was grateful his face couldn't reveal his emotions; she'd never know a piece of technology she'd outright hated, but this thing was bordering on it as he continued, "my turn again; well I must admit a certain amount of curiosity as to why I am back amongst the living".

"Because you have something we want", Kragok's repost was typically his style; swift and not pulling any punches, "we offer you a trade Metal; your restoration for the information we need from you".

"And that is?"

"The software that allows you to feel what all other robots cannot", Dimitri grated, standing tall enough to cast the slimmer, smaller robot into shadow as he grated, "your emotional programming".

There was no gesture of surprise, nothing that gave the game away as to what the metallic hedgehog was computing, just a few seconds silence before Metal slowly raised on hand, tapping his claws against the side of his face with a hair-raising clinking noise,

"My emotions?"

"Yes", Dimitri affirmed, stepping forwards, close enough for the energy bubble interposed between them reflected of his bodywork, tingeing him with a light sea green; as if challenged, Metal did the same though the colour change was muted on his blue armour, "we have restored you to functionality; we require a little payment".

"Strange, I don't agree", Metal thrust his face upwards, the power from the imprisoning field all but striking sparks from his face plate as he leered, "I'm famous for a lot of things, generosity isn't one of them".

"Very well", Dimitri took a pace back, though the manner in which he placed his hands on his hips gave no indication of defeat, "you have been offered a choice and you have refused; you could have given freely, but now we shall be forced to take".

"Really; you think I am helpless here, behind this force shield?" Lien broke in, enjoying having one over on this obnoxious machine,

"I know you are; I configured it to your specifications exactly. Put one toe over that line and you'll get a shock that'll trip your self-defence programmes and switch you off automatically". _Get out of that one then_; she allowed herself a smug grin as Mecha looked at the pale luminescent bubble around him anew.

"A lot of effort went into this; I am impressed", he commented grudgingly before, with a sudden flare, his eyes lit up again, "but while the one who designed this shield should be proud, whoever installed it should be shot".

With a sudden whoomph that sent all present scrambling backwards save Dimitri, insulated as he was against flames and fire, Mecha activated his thrusters and soared towards the ceiling; a loud tearing noise preceding his meteoric ascent as his wrist lasers sought to rip apart the air itself. The twin beams of ruby red light hit the ceiling and penetrated it, the robot's voice echoing though the confusion as some of the honour guard, reactions finally clicking into place, swung their weapons upwards and took a few pot shots,

"I'll offer this as payment; most emotions are weaknesses, nothing more – I only bear the ones that will make my inevitable victory all the sweeter". With that, an ear-splitting crash and a sudden shower of partially melted ceiling, Metal Sonic smashed into the roof above his head, bare of eclectic protection it yielded, setting the homicidal machine free in the base. Fortunately thanks to Dimitri's quick wits, a frantically voxed evacuation order had allowed the floor above to be completely abandoned, denying the robot any chance of a retaliatory assault on any unsuspecting legionnaires. Kragok bellowed into his wrist communicator, demanding reports and carrying out quick, curt orders remotely,

"Seal it off, I don't care how…no, bring it down, keep it away from the hangers…use your bare hands if you have to, just make sure…no weapon is useless, just the trooper using it…no, who are you? I'll have your hide for this"; with a snarl he cut off the communication and slammed his claw around the nearest piece of metal he could find, sheering through it in his frustration as he looked up at his commander, trying to explain this shambles,

"My apologies Lord Enerjak, but it appears the subject had attained freedom; he has left Necronopolis".

"Casualties?"

"None, a few light injuries". Enerjak growled a little before looking up at the ruined ceiling,

"Not a complete disaster then; good work Lien", she looked up at this rare praise as he flicked his glance her way, eyes dimmer than normal in respect, "I imagine some Legionnaires owe their lives to your work". She seized the opportunity with both hands, milking it for all it was worth,

"My duty is all, my lord, nothing more", she gave slight bow, seeing without meaning to Kragok go puce as he turned away, "and it shall give us back the advantage in the future".

"Explain". The female looked up and smiled slightly, tapping her fingers together to make her point crystal clear,

"I know Metal's processing computations are exceedingly well developed; if he were mortal, he'd be considered at the least genius. Going on that and the information we disclosed, I imagine he knows, or at least strongly suspects, his current location is Angel Island. And who do we know he has history with here?"

"The guardian, who else?" Kragok spat the word like poison, red eye glowing maleficently; Lien merely smiled,

"Yes, Knuckles; so he'll be going on the element of surprise, he wants power and the Master is the closest thing to him, and when he tries to take it", the female let herself laugh, even as she could see the unmade look of horror on her grandfather's face as he considered that thing with the power of the Master Emerald, "he'll find out just how deep the modifications I made actually run!"

XXX

_Interesting_; Metal could not think to the same extent a living being could, but he was at least capable of understanding outside the box that held most machines captive, even if his limited emotions made that understanding sour; _my altitude sensors indicate a height correlating with the local of the Floating Island, yet I recognise none of these landmarks_. His robotic eyes swept the ground before him as he increased the range of his scan; almost as soon as he did, he pulled to a stop in mid-air, trying to compute the best course of action in the light of the new information. Though the city he had detected was smaller than Station Square, suddenly appearing in the air above it didn't seem like the logical thing to do; assuming this was Angel Island, the inhabitants were probably affiliated with the guardian Knuckles and were therefore potential enemies. Though he knew that individually he was far superior to a mere citizen, regardless of species or armament, even he baulked at the idea of a one-droid assault on a city of that size; no, he needed to be careful than that – no sense in losing the function so soon after he had regained it. He hovered for a few moments, weighing up the options he had open to him, before altering his trajectory and taking off, the location of his next power source finally revealed to him by his long range sensors.

XXX

"It's a shame Vec couldn't make it", Mighty commented as she looked up at the displays above her head; the placard bearing the message of 'sweets and savouries' gaining her especial interest, "I have a funny feeling this is his sort of place". Her companion looked around and stepped forwards, now looking like a display of cans having been stood in one place too long; with a visible effort he turned his original colour and smirked,

"After what happened last time he went shopping; I'd say he was being prudent".

"Am going to hear the end of this within the next year?" The chameleon chuckled,

"Maybe the next century; come on, when Vector showed back up with a lump the size of his egg on his head, a swollen tail and you looking sheepish, it doesn't take Tails to join the dots". The armadillo rolled her eyes, a slight smile twitching her lips as she wrestled down a laugh,

"Well he did deserve it; come on how would you have felt if he'd come in and thrown ashes all over the shop?"

"I would've felt nothing" Espio commented dryly before adding, "he would have the next morning, after I'd super-glued his head to his pillow, but I wouldn't have said anything".

"Let me guess; training in espionage and assassination?"

"The glue could be a poison in reality". Perturbed by the chameleon's seemingly morbid fascination with death and in particular how to deliver it, Mighty turned and looked him square in the eye,

"Espio, have you ever actually put any of this into practise?" He snorted,

"Of course, I have, er, well"; he was in a bit of a fix here as he couldn't give away what he'd been up to with the Metal Overlord – the fewer questions Mighty asked the better; in the end he had to concede a partial lie, "well it never hurts to be prepared". Seeing his obstinate features, the armadillo gave up on him as a cause lost to fantasy and mumbled a quick,

"Forget it", before giving her attention back to the store she was in, heading for the display she'd had her eye on before a sudden low whine, reminiscent of the hundreds of mosquitoes she'd had the dubious pleasure of feeding not too long ago, rang in her ears, causing her to grit her teeth and shudder.

"What's that noise?" She looked over her shoulder to see Espio fiddle with his watch, face troubled from embarrassment as he tried to shut off whatever alarm it was that was traumatising the eardrums of everyone within a ten foot radius, "crikey Esp, couldn't you have got a better sound effect?"

"I, just wanted to make sure I'd hear it", the chameleon said nonchalantly, grateful as ever to his training being able to bury his apprehension behind a smokescreen of oblivion a casual observation couldn't pierce, "must have forgotten to switch it off this morning".

"Make sure you do in the future; my ears are still ringing" the armadillo complained, rubbing the side of her face as she shook her head and made to carry on; behind her, Espio took a deep breath and with a visible effort cooled down a touch; _relax, Vector is on duty; he's probably already at the shrine and sorting out the problem – probably someone got lost and tripped the system accidentally_.

XXX

Unbeknown to him, Espio was half-right; the second the alarm had been transmitted to the wrist monitors of the Chaotix, Vector had leapt up from his paper, rushed down the hall and activated the hidden teleporter array, jumping into the beam of light and closing his eyes, trying to ignore the stomach-lurching jolt that came with this kind of travel. He held them shut until he felt solid ground beneath his feet again, took one breath and then ran down the short tunnel ahead of him, emerging in the centre of the shrine and carrying on, barely casting the Master Emerald a second glance as he headed for the entrance, the only way into this scared place. He arrived, body thundering with adrenaline and breath coming in ragged, excited gasps, leaning against one of the pillars, eyes sweeping the ground ahead of him as he looked for the trespasser, muscles primed and nerves taut for action. _Nothing yet – keep sharp though; anyone who breaks the net should be able to have a vague view of the shrine, so they'll either come here or just turn around_; Spectre's explanations of how the glyphs he and the rest of the Chaotix were immune to worked by intruding on the mind of the approaching individual and seeding him or her with nameless fear, making them dread taking another step until their nerve broke and they ran back the way they'd come, reassured him slightly.

He probably would just have to wait here for a while, making sure no-one was brave, or suicidal if those glyphs did their thing, enough to come here anyway; leaning against the stone arch, the crocodile looked around, each second sending more tension trickling away as there appeared to be no imminent catastrophe. He looked around a second, something at the edge of his hearing prickling him; it sounded like the Tornado was passing overhead, but it couldn't be – Tails was more than smart enough to know better than to take his customers sightseeing over this part of the island due to the risk of them seeing the shrine. He squinted upwards, shielding his eyes as the noise became slightly clearer; there was a speck on the horizon, the sun glinting from it – he tried to focus, watching as it ate up the ground with terrifying rapidity; _damn that's quick and_; there was a slight pause as the light from this thing shone into his suddenly fearful eyes; _oh hell, it's blue!_

The tension flooded back to Vector, redoubled and draining his limbs of effort as he finally saw what this thing was; he'd never fought with Sonic's robotic doppelganger one on one and to be perfectly honest didn't want to – he'd heard the stories and seen the scars Knuckles bore as a reminder of the duel he'd fought with the robot, when he'd just about stopped the rampaging machine from stealing the Master Emerald by a combination of skill, bravery and sheer dumb luck. He needed back up and he needed it now; Metal, if it was him, was steaming in like a blue bullet and didn't look like stopping and Vector knew he couldn't fight him here. The crocodile retreated into the shrine itself, trusting the stone to reduce the robot's supreme speed and agility at the same time he prayed he could hold out long enough, one hand shooting down to his left wrist.

XXX

"Yeah, that's everything thanks"; Mighty handed over a couple of bills to the cashier and hefted the few bags of sundries she'd purchased, enough to get through a few more days of Chaotix-induced insanity without killing anyone, at least on purpose. She peeked in to see everything was as it should be before a sudden rattling thump, soft but still perfectly audible, caused her too look around; it was with a certain amount of trepidation she asked,

"Esp, everything okay?"

XXX

_Three stings_; the chameleon replayed the trio of minor electric shocks over and over again in his mind; _we all swore we'd never use three stings, unless it really is a case of if you don't get here soon I'm going to die_. That promise, swore by each of them with their hands clasped, would never, could never, be violated willingly, and it couldn't be a mistake; _then that means…this is real, this happening…to Vector!_

Sudden, overwhelming fear bubbled up through Espio; much as he might complain and moan about the crocodile's slovenly habits and bad taste in music, they'd been together so long he couldn't image the great green lunk not being in his life. He heard Mighty's voice and felt her concern; he found himself faced with a split-second decision he had no time to take and went, for the first time in too long, with his gut rather than his head. One hand lashed out almost too fast for the eye to follow, grabbing Mighty's thick wrist and stopping her questions dead as he hissed,

"Quickly, come with me"; he started to run but it was like trying to move a mountain; the armadillo braced herself, suddenly perturbed with the company of this familiar stranger,

"Espio, what about…?"

"Drop it", he ordered brutally before stepping in close, aware of other eyes on him now but not giving a damn as he hissed under his breath, "someone's life is at stake – shut up and keep up or he might die". Doubt flickered; if it had been longer than a second, he'd have dropped her and run anyway, but then Mighty blinked and her eyes cleared, face becoming set as she went with her gut instinct and trusted her friend,

"Right, let's go". Without waiting, the chameleon turned and raced away, fighting through the milling crowd, using knees and elbow when the press became to thick to squirm through – Mighty had no such problems, bulldozing her way out the crowd, Espio falling behind as she made faster progress than he did. As they burst from the shopping mall, purchased produce discarded in their wake to save on speed, the chameleon raced ahead, mind set on his destination as he prayed he'd have enough time to reach it.

XXX

Touching down, Mecha wasted no time; he speeded in through the entrance, expecting challenge at any stage but encountering only silence as he slowed his pace; taking a second to switch his vision to heat-sensitive, aware that Knuckles was well-known for his stealth. _The guardian is absent_; he concluded after his brief scan, rearranging his vision at the same time as feel his logistical core explore the potential of this situation and give him the feedback he needed; _his treasure is mine_. With that new goal he rocketed forwards once more, seeing the green glow highlighting the walls of the chamber ahead as he still met no resistance, not even when he burst into the central chamber of the shrine of the Master Emerald, fully intent on pillaging the treasure within. His eyes were locked onto the prize; when his close quarter klaxon chimed in his head, he had no time to dodge, he could only brace as the bar of the trap Knuckles must have planted slammed into him, not killing his momentum but redirecting it, sending him skittering off at a crazy angle as he internally diagnosed himself for damage. In nanoseconds he was assured that his left arm laser defence system, which had borne the brunt of the surprise attack, would be recalibrated in two minutes, twelve seconds; everything else was at full combat effectiveness. _Now for Knuckles_; with a deft twist of his upper body, Mecha dimmed the thrust of his boosters and span, completing a full half-circle to glare at his opponent in the same second the Mobian issued his challenge,

"Touch that jewel an' your scrap, Metal".

_Hell, I hit him with a full on slam and he just twirled out of it like a god-damn ballerina_; though he let nothing show on his face, Vector knew he was out of his depth against this assassin; Mecha had gone from sprawling to complete readiness in the time it had taken him to shout and was now gazing at him levelly, blood red eyes boring into his own, seeking to undermine his resistance, fathom for some unknown and possibly unknowable goal.

"You are not the guardian Knuckles". Despite the grim situation, Vector felt himself smile; _well, if I'm gonna die here, I'm gonna die like I lived_…

"Get a grip tin can; of course it's me, don't you know I had a species swap", the crocodile said in a tone that could have stripped the paint off Mecha's armour, "common enough op if you've got the dough for it".

"Where is the guardian?"

"Works on bots too you know", Vector continued as though he hadn't heard the unmissable screech, "you should try it – see if they can swap you with a garbage disposal; I know which one I'd find scarier". Metal cocked his head, having used the time Vector had been speaking to access both his memory and threat files and draw up a profile on the Mobian before him. _He was one of the ones who had a hand in my downfall_; Metal computed, allowing the crocodile's words to wash over him as he made up his mind about what to do next; _his threat policy is as yet undecided – experimentation unnecessary_. With a sudden flare of his LED eyes, a trick he knew from experimentation worked to intimidate mortals, he spoke at the same time as flick the claws on his fingers into open view,

"You are Vector Crocodile?" The reptile nodded and gave a carefree grin,

"Aw, how sweet, you remember me".

"You have damaged me in the past", he powered up every offensive system he had available to him, he watched with interest as the biological being did the same with his organic components, muscles tensing and senses straining as he sought to second guess his opponent, "I shall damage you now, and you shall not be repaired from this!"

XXX

Espio pounded the pavement, the impacts reverberating through his shoes and calves but he kept going, not letting anything stop him as he heard Mighty keep pace slightly behind him, the armadillo not having the breath to spare for questions as she tried to keep up with his remorseless running. _It's still five or six minutes before we can get there_; the chameleon thought desperately, pushing himself to go faster still, straining every inch of performance from his body as his dire thought ran to its conclusion; _so much can happen in five minutes_. All he could do was pray that Charmy was faster off the mark than either he or Mighty could be.

XXX

Vector threw himself to the side, narrowly dodging the claws that flicked out from the side of the blue blur, seeking his stomach in an eviscerating slash; spinning quickly to capitalise from his opponents missed attack, the crocodile used his momentum to lash with his tail, the impact minimal but it caused the robot a second's pause as he corrected his flight path, a second that brought reinforcements ever so slightly closer. Breathing heavily, Vector sneered as Metal hit the ground and turned to face him,

"That all you've got?"

"No", the icy truth in the voice cut deeper than any shout would have, "I have merely been assessing my combat readiness; those who restored me, those who named themselves the Dark Legion, have not altered my combat skills". The crocodile felt his fists drop to his side for a minute, ignoring the ache in his muscles and the sharp pangs of pain from the slight cuts he'd received as he gasped,

"You got fixed by the Dark Legion?" _Oh hell, so they're still around and now they've got this killer working for them_; preoccupied, if only for a second, Vector was unaware of his opponent's movement until it was a little too late. He struck back out of instinct, but as something crashed into him and bowled him over, he felt this was one time too late.

Metal was well used to fighting organic creatures and, though not an expert at body language, he was aware that certain poses and actions meant certain circumstances were being fulfilled. The manner in which his opponent had let his eyes cloud over meant he was not fully focussed on the fight; _a mistake that is usually, as in this instance, fatal_. Metal didn't hesitate; thrusting forwards in a flat-out charge he made to slam into his larger enemy, trusting to his steel-augmented strength to overcome his adversary at close quarters. Though he was swift, he had to concede underestimating Vector's reactions; the crocodile took a pace backwards and his jaws shot open; a sheet of flame flooded forwards, Metal registered a temperature rise of three hundred and twenty nine degrees on his skin sensors, forcing him to activate his internal coolant systems, before he felt the impact, cutting the flames off at the source, the paint that remained on his bodywork bubbling and hissing as he wrestled with the crocodile, his claws gouging the reptile's skin and drawing blood as Vector retaliated with his fists, his jaws and his tail, pounding new dents into the robot's metal hide, though due to the awkward angle and close in nature of the attacks, he couldn't get enough power behind his hits to jar and shock any of the robots internal systems.

The two rolled together, clawing, biting, spitting and snapping madly, muscle and tendon pitted against torsion cable and joint strength and, at this close range, the superior endurance of the robot began to tell; Vector's strikes began to lose their venom, though Metal's assault continued undimmed, his blades unheeding of strength as the could cut through even a crocodile's thick skin with little appreciable effort. With a triumphant snarl, Mecha twisted and threw with all four limbs, sending Vector flying over his head; in the same movement, he was on his feet and heading for the point of impact, watching as the crocodile crashed into one of the seven plinths raised around the glowing Master Emerald, the jewel Mecha would soon claim as his own; _just as soon as this obstacle is removed, permanently_.

Vector rolled, everything hurting as his ears rang from the impact and he knew this was it; the one time he wouldn't be able to walk away; _but I gave you something to remember me by_; he thought grimly, savagely as in these last few minutes, his eyes saw the damage he'd managed to inflict. One of Mecha's wrist lasers wasn't going to be firing anytime soon; the lens was cracked and broken – he dimly recalled biting down in the dirt scuffle and hearing something crack, might have been glass, and the robot's paint was completely stripped away, blackened and burnt as the dents and slight cracks in the steel showed up. Vector gave a slight smile as the machine rolled forwards; he tried to stand up, give one last stand, but there was a crippling impact on his legs and he collapsed, Metal suddenly in front of him and grating,

"No last minute heroics", a single hand clamped down just below Vector's lower jaw, forcing his head up, exposing his throat for the killing blow, "I said you would not recover, and I always keep my word". With that, Metal slashed forwards his other hand, the steel of his finger equivalents quickly drowned in red, the last breath wheezing useless from his now slain opponent; it took the realisation of there being no changes detected on the sensors of his hand to realise something had gone wrong.

His killing blow had never landed – his hand had failed to move.

It was incomputable; his arm had failed to react to a direct command from his CPU. Taken aback by this unforeseen problem, Metal ran a self-diagnostic programme – no errors reported. He sent the order again, trying to kill his helpless victim, but again his arm remained poised to deliver the fatal blow, not moving to deal it as he had commanded. _I am malfunctioning_; Metal was confused; a second self-diagnosis again showed no errors detected, but there was the undeniable fact that his arm was not responding, would not do as he commanded. He paused, for the first time unsure of what his problem could be; he was too concerned for his own well-being to hear the shout of horror that echoed throughout the place, or the improvised war-cry that followed it; only when the impact rang on his shoulder and sensors in his lower back chimed in, indicating repeated, extremely high increases of pressure in extremely localised areas, did he realised he faced a second opponent.

XXX

Espio threw himself through his front door, gasping for breath as he leaned against it for a few seconds, letting Mighty catch up as she rounded the end of the street. He looked behind him as he saw the armadillo raced down the road, pulling himself to his feet once more, he stood in time to hear her question,

"What, the hell, is going on?"

"Bad, stuff", he gasped back before taking off down the hall, heading for the stairs that led to the basement.

This confused Mighty; the first thing she'd been told once she'd stepped foot in this house had been that the basement was out of order; it had been bordered up and the door wouldn't open, but Espio was running there as though the devil were behind him. She followed him though, aware of the fact that he of all the Chaotix was the one most likely to stick to the truth and not exaggerate it; if said it was bad, chances were someone else would call it a calamity. She thundered down the stairs in time to see him reach for the light switch outside the sealed door, turning to look over his shoulder as he heard her hit the bottom,

"When this opens, jump in the light beam – when you get to the other end, run down the corridor and hit anything that isn't Vector or Charmy, got it?"

"What, Esp", she groped blindly for words, especially when she saw him, rather than flick the switch, grip the front of the light socket and twist the whole thing; it slipped down, exposing a button the size of a pin, "what is this?"

"Our job" he replied bluntly as he hit the button; as the grating started and the door in front of her slid upwards, retracting into the ceiling, he finished, "what it means to be a Chaotix; you've been drafted because lives are in danger, go!"

She froze for a second, eyes wide as she saw what was ahead of her; a large purple ball rested in the grip of three perfectly circular metal bands, emitting a beam of light upwards that grew in intensity; she imagined it had been switched on by the same button that had opened this secret room. She turned to see Espio; his face, normally blank and unreadable, was a mask of anxiety and that broke the paralysis; _lives are…right, jump in the light beam_. She powered forwards, her athletic legs easily landing her on top of the purple ball; the light around her glowed, and she felt herself move at the same time she stood still, heading for a destination she knew nothing about bar the promise of a friend.

XXX

_This is not possible_; Metal felt his rage and frustration grow, threatening to drown out his logical, clear thought as once more his own body conspired against him; his single remaining wrist laser failed to fire as the bee above him flitted around, him tracking its flight with no difficulty and lining up the shot. _Both of these, should be dead many times ove…_; he was interrupted as something crashed into him from behind, throwing him forwards and allowing the smaller, faster bee, Charmy unless his memory circuits were as faulty as the rest of him, dive in and deliver more of his stings, the sharp natural knife threatening to puncture through his armour as his opponent concentrated on a few spots. Metal snarled, kicking in his boosters and shooting forwards, dislodging the clinging parasite and blasting with his laser, illuminating a bloodstained Vector in red light as all his shots went, intentionally it seemed, wide of the crocodile. _What is wrong with me_; the robot screamed silently, denied his kill once more as sudden movement was detected by his visual sensors; a third opponent was here now. Not, as he'd predicted, the chameleon who had attacked him last time with these other two, but someone new. His logical thought was to assess this potential enemy's threat; he knew he would have to retreat – it was a case of how much information he could harvest before he had to disengage. With this aim in mind, already thinking of possible methods of retribution for this defeat, the assassin droid fired up towards the newcomer in this battle.

XXX

She felt the sensation of movement stop with a sudden lurch; she stepped forwards instinctively only for her foot to find nothing; Mighty snapped her eyes open to see the ground approaching and out of instinct braced herself, flipping onto her back so she could roll upright on her shell. As she hit and used the momentum to come to her feet, she saw the corridor, the only exit from this place, beckoning her and without thinking she ran down it, seeing the green glow that highlighted the end of this place with a hint of trepidation that, a split-second later was drowned out by a voice, a strangled growl of pain she recognised with a thrill of fear. _Vector_; she increased her pace, forgetting the ache in her thighs as Espio's voice echoed in her head, haunting her; _lives are at risk – could Vector be one of them?_ She couldn't see it, she couldn't even think about it – throwing herself forwards, ready for just about anything, she saw the scene before her and everything she had know before was thrown up in the air.

Vector was there, as was Charmy, but the crocodile was bleeding, at least a dozen cuts were scraped into his thick torso and he looked to be panting for air at the same time the bee was giving chase to…Sonic? Mighty was dumbfounded for a minute; why was Sonic here, and why did he have a rocket on his back…but wait, it wasn't Sonic, it looked like some kind of robot, engineered around the blue hedgehog as the similarities were unmissable. As it swerved in the air and its eyes looked at her, she suddenly glanced at its hands and fury rose in a cinder cloud; there was blood on the fearsome blades there, and only one place it could have come from. _All right then_; she planted her feet, a grimacing smile on her face as the robotic doppelganger of her friend sped towards her, looking for a collision; _you'll only do it once, whatever you are – steel skin won't help you if I get a shot in_.

The impact rocked her, but with her weight braced and her legs locked into the floor, the armadillo didn't move backwards, the robot crashing into her and slamming off a few feet. Without thinking, she drew a fist back at the same time it lashed out like quicksilver, her own blood mingling with the congealing stuff on its razor claws as it sliced three parallel grooves down her forearm. That, combined with what she already knew, let her really wind up; anger and pain combining in a furious bellow, Mighty let fly with one juggernaut punch. With a ringing crash, her enemy was thrown away, his chest plate virtually caved in as she roared after him,

"Let's have you, or is that all you can do".

XXX

He'd been in trouble before, this was worse; he had never predicted this new Mobian could be so strong, so much power could be packed into one devastating punch, and he had paid the full price for it. His radar was barely functioning, his ability to see in any other spectrum save the visible one was gone and his main weapon processor was shot to hell; that single impact had crippled him completely. _The information is mine_; that single positive thought occupied his mind as he thrust to the side, avoiding Charmy's rush, before something whizzed into his badly injured chest cavity, then another. Looking up from his raised point, he realised the odds were too great now; the purple chameleon had shown up and his stars, though little danger to him in perfect health, now had a high probability of cutting straight through his weakened armour and hitting something he needed. _It is time to leave_; his thrusters juddered as he ordered more power, for a second he feared they would cut out, but then the flame lit up and he hurtled upwards, away and free to repair and plot his vengeance; _as well as_; he snarled as he programmed in his flight path, virtually retracing his earlier route; _ask a few questions of my own!_

XXX

Mighty stood for a second, snarling as that machine made its escape, not feeling anything bar the blood singing in her ears and heart pounding in her chest, before the sound of Espio moving past brought her back to the present, and the fact that someone was injured. Shaking her head, she rushed over to where the other two Chaotix were clustered around Vector, helping him sit down and checking his injuries; he must have seen her as she approached,

"Mighty?" _Oh no, this is sure to kill our big chance_; "what are you doing here?"

"Apart from saving your tail?" She joked, though her face fell almost immediately afterwards, "Espio said something about lives being in danger, ran me back to your dive, opened some hidden door to something that brought me here and told me to deal with the consequences later. So where am I? Who or what was that thing?" She looked around, pointing out the Master Emerald and seeing it clearly for the first time,

"And what the heck is that green jewel doing here?"

As she gazed upon the Master Emerald, gently spinning on its plinth, two things were simultaneously broken; firstly, what was seen could not be unseen; the glyphs on the walls that were designed to protect the Master from observation lost their hold on the armadillo forever; no longer could this place be hidden from her. At the same time, Vector saw her gaze and knew that, despite their promises to the Brotherhood and Knuckles in particular, the Chaotix had failed. He placed one hand over his face, shaking his head gently as despondency set in; _all because we wanted an easier ride – I shouldn't have let Shadow talk me into giving her a shot_. Still, what was done was done and he couldn't change it, much as he would dearly have loved to; it might have been hopeless at best and maybe professional courtesy at most, but he beckoned Espio over lazily and whispered in a dead voice,

"Esp, give them a call; tell Spectre to get over her soon as – he needs to know what's going on now". Seeing his leader's hollowed eyes, Espio for once lost his sarcastic bent and merely nodded, raising his left wrist to his mouth as he found a secluded corner, shielding his words as Vector raised his voice, Charmy in close proximity as the crocodile called,

"Mighty", she tore her eyes from the revolving stone with difficulty, virtually lost in its allure, "take a seat a minute; this is gonna be hard to explain".

"What, you've got gadgets that would put James Bond to shame hidden in your house, you fight robots for fun and this is just a nest egg of some kind – nah, surely not". It wasn't sinking in yet and, Vector thought, it couldn't; Mighty didn't know what was at stake here through no fault of her own – if there was any blame it was his for dragging her into this mess in the first place. Charmy, seeing his older friend take a breath, understood what he needed to do; stepping forwards, he gently put his hand on Mighty's lower arm and spoke,

"Come on, there's some things we need to tell you now". She couldn't use sarcasm against him, not like she could Vector – she let herself be guided to where the bloodstained crocodile sat, still nursing his wounds even though most of them had stopped bleeding.

She sat down ahead of him, curling her legs in to make herself more comfortable before looking at him expectantly; he knew he had to make the first move,

"Right, we haven't been honest with ya Mighty, before you say anything though, I will say we had no choice; it's our job to keep this under wraps", he pointed to the Master, the armadillo following his finger as he explained, "that there's the Master Emerald; basically, it's our job to keep it safe by whatever means necessary, even death if the situation called for it". _Death, for a colourful lump of rock_?

"Why?" Mighty was aghast at the idea of fighting to the death over something this trivial; compared to life this was just a pretty stone, "why the hell would you die over that?"

"Because by doing to we'd save everyone else on Angel Island", Charmy cut in, his normally warm eyes dark and sorrowful; it looked like it was hurting him to say this, "that's not just a big jewel Mighty; it's got powers only Knuckles really understands, and even then I don't think he knows the half of it. The only thing we know for sure is that, take away the M.E. and there is no Angel Island; it'll crash into the ocean. And with a city on it, and everything else, never mind what would happen with the tidal waves it'd cause…" he didn't finish, merely shaking his head at the thought.

Silence descended for a few minutes, the two storytellers letting Mighty come to terms with the earth-shattering news in her own time, just as they had, answering her disbelieving looks with quiet but firm truth and confirmation.

"So", she licked dry lips, minds buzzing as she tried to take this in, "so you have to keep this thing safe", they both nodded, "but how; it's an island, there are loads of echidnas here, someone must have blundered…"

"See those", Vector cut her off coolly, nodding at the green script glowing on the walls all around them; Mighty looked and once more nodded, "well those are what do most of the work; I'm not sure how, but those fancy words somehow keep people away from this shrine; problem is", a faint smile touched his lips as he regarded her levelly, "they don't work if the guy, or girl, has already seen the Master Emerald".

"And you all have, well obviously", she answered her own question as Vector and Charmy both waited; _ah, there we go_; realisation had stolen her breath, eyes bulging as she pointing one trembling hand at her own torso, "and me, what about me? I've seen it, so…"

"Hate to be blunt, but you're a security risk", the crocodile sighed, seeing a green flare from the passage that led to the main entrance and knowing his doom walked closer and closer still, "sorry Mighty, but this really is out of my hands now; you have to deal with the real guardians, as do we".

"Wha?" She turned in the direction of her crocodile friend's nod to see two other figure approaching; both echidnas, or as far as she could tell they were, one sneering and red whilst the other, she shuddered slightly, the other just plain put her back up; who wore thick black robes and a helmet at this time of year?

XXX

_This will be interesting to hear_; Spectre thought calmly as he realised temper would get him nowhere fast with this case; the girl Espio had mentioned was standing before him, confused and mixed up by something she could barely understand. The chameleon had mentioned life being in danger and, though he knew the guardian code required secrecy above all things, he did not overlook both the loyalty shown to Vector by his team mate and the need for protection of the Master Emerald. And it looked as though the crocodile had needed help; he was torn up something rotten, though most of the wounds were actually fairly shallow, there were plenty of them and more dried blood than Spectre was comfortable of seeing. Ignoring Sojourner, who he could almost feel itching to lambaste his decision to test the idea of assistants for his seventh-son, the leader of the Brotherhood of Guardians stepped forwards, waving Vector down as the crocodile made to get up and greet him,

"Don't stand on my account, your wounds are healing and you'd do more harm than good moving".

"Thanks, hurts like a beehive let me tell you".

"Hey", Charmy reverted to his age old saying 'if it's too late to be serious, be playful' and folded his arms, "I resent that last remark". _Still works_; Vector chuckled wearily as Spectre, well, he was Spectre and probably didn't feel fun the way most other people did; life must get a bit dull when you live over a hundred and fifty years.

"Your friend was, somewhat hazy with the details", the eldest guardian continued, examining the crocodile's wounds more closely before looking him in the eye, "something about a disturbance that could have resulted in a fatality".

"Could've, and should've", Vector grunted, not flinching as he held Spectre's gaze, "listen, I heard the alarm, got here soon as and when I saw what was heading my way I hit the panic button; I honestly believe if I hadn't, I at least would be dead – I nearly was anyway, only Charmy stopped that robot from using my guts for garters".

"Robot", Spectre's voice was hard now; Mighty looked on in alarm and amazement as his anger manifested as wisps of smoke, giving him the look of a Guy on Bonfire Night, "the Dark Legion were behind this?"

"Yes and no", was Vector's answer after a couple of minutes, eliciting surprise from all corners including Charmy as he finished, "it was Metal Sonic; he wasn't built by the Legion but he said he was repaired by them. Believe me Spectre, he makes anything we've seen from them look like a tin whistle".

"Truly; I might need to…"

"Go ahead"; ignoring the pain of his cut back, Vector leaned forwards only to be propped back up by Charmy, the bee adamant as he shook his head,

"No Vec, you're hurt; Spectre, look in here"; before Mighty's astonished eyes, the black furred echidna eased off one of his gloves and placed his now bare hand gently on the bee's head.

XXX

Silence pervaded for a few minutes, the scene remained stationary; Mighty made to ask what was going on but Vector managed to catch her eye and shake his head warningly; this was not something to be disturbed. The end was so sudden she jumped back startled; Spectre pulled his hand back and staggered a pace, maybe a hint of fear on his otherwise unreadable face as he pulled himself together with a visible effort, finding his tongue a minute later,

"I see", was all he gave as answer to the armadillo's questioning glance before he turned to see Espio, beckoning the chameleon forward and speaking, "so you were the one who brought the stranger to the shrine; why, and who is she?"

"Hey, I can answer my own questions", the armadillo was sick of being ignored and settled the problem in the way she knew best; she marched forwards and looked the black echidna dead in the eye, "I'm Mighty Armadillo, and I was called up here to help with the heavy jobs these guys have had to do; about fifteen minutes ago I was shopping with Espio, then he grabs my arm and says something about lives being at risk, runs me back to home and I end up here. I hit that, Metal Sonic, if that's what you say it was?" Vector nodded and she finished, "and it flew off, without that green stone over there".

"Watch your tone", the other echidna, the one about as thick as her thumb through the middle, spoke reprimandingly, "that is the Master Emerald, and…"

"Is the reason we're all up here", Mighty finished for him, throwing up her arms at his look of disbelief, "I'm not as dumb as I look; I can guess why that thing was after it. For a start it must be worth a fortune, on top of any ransom it might demand; I mean, what price can you put on a whole city at the very least, and last of all Vec said that thing was powerful. I don't know what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands, but I'm guessing nothing pretty. So don't stand there like I'm some kind of moron; I figured out why that thing needs guarding and I'm just glad Esp and I arrived in time to stop Metal Sonic turning these two into sushi".

For a second, all the only sound that could be heard was Mighty's ragged breathing as the speech had taken most of her breath; all eyes were on her in varied stages of disbelief or indignation. All eyes, that was, save one pair,

"Everyone", Spectre stood tall, eyeing the armadillo as though seeing her for the first time, "go outside, even you Sojourner". Mighty didn't move, waiting with the ebon guardian until they were alone, folding her arms as she wasn't sure exactly what to expect, though she didn't flinch as Spectre stepped closer, his red eyes uncannily resembling the robotic doppelganger of her friend as he coolly extended his still-bare paw.

XXX

"Esp", the chameleon looked over to Vector at the sound of his name, "that was a good point; why did you bring Mighty?"

"Three stings", the ninja held up his arm, the communicator dangling there as he finished steely, "we all swore three was life or death; I was with her, thought she might help save a life, your life, that was in severe danger, and brought her. As it was, she probably did and almost certainly drove Metal off. Why, you would have rather I came alone and leave us with the questions when we all got back; I couldn't just leave her in the shops alone without an explanation could I?" The crocodile nodded, his lips creasing in a tight smile,

"Thought it was somethin' like that", he touched the deepest of his cuts, still trickling a minute stream of blood and winced, "well, that's the end of our stint here; we lat someone in to see the M.E".

"Life's worth more than a job, and I'd have done the same", Charmy cut in, waving a finger at the leader of the Chaotix before adding, "and I'd have done it even if it were Knuckles, or Rouge".

"You would Charmy?" The bee nodded, folding his arms and looking stern even as Vector gave a gruff laugh, "well, so would I" he admitted, feeling Sojourner's eyes on his back even if the echidna said nothing; Vector knew he was inwardly pleased that they'd failed, but knew better than to say anything with tempers running high, especially in the light of a new threat to the Master. _Well screw it_; the crocodile clicked his fingers at Espio once more and smiled,

"Hey, thanks for that". The chameleon looked away, though something that may just have counted as a hint of a smile might just have pinched his lips as he answered curtly,

"Any time".

XXX

_Something is wrong with my systems_; Mecha stormed through the open doors, following the route the guard at the door had pointed at the same time as carry out more experiments; the echidna in black robes had looked so smug, even as Mecha had casually tossed him against the wall, the robot had calculated minutely how much force had been put behind the shove, barely enough to knock the wind out of him, let alone snap bones. He casually pointed his single remaining laser at the milling crowd, only to feel it disobey his neural impulses; the beam would not fire if directed at any one of them; _someone is going to answer me, or I will rip this place down around their heads_. With this determined, the robot pushed roughly past the honour guard that flanked where the lord of this collection of black clad idiots must have been, spitefully not giving them enough time to get out of his way in his desire to inflict misery on someone, and crashed through the doors. His vision, still only in visible spectrum, compensated for the dim conditions and locked onto his target, allowing his synthesisers to growl with all the menace he possessed,

"What did you do to me?"

_So Lien's predictions were accurate_; Enerjak rose from his throne and nodded at the glowering android, though he noticed with distaste that there was unmistakeably dried blood on his claws as he spoke,

"You will understand this Mecha", he began slowly, watching as he saw his single audience member make to interrupt before deciding to listen to what he had to say, "we of the Dark Legion fight with the guardians, but they are not our ultimate enemy; the emerald would be a significant advantage, but is not our goal".

"Then what is?" Mecha could not compute this, "what could be worth more than holding the safety of this miserable slab of earth in the palm of your hand?"

"Conquering the great destroyer, once and for all", the robot stepped back a pace, surprised by the conviction in the other mechanical beast's synthesised voice, "death has taken far too much, for far too long; we stand against it now and forever". A mortal would have been shocked, speechless, but Metal Sonic was not mortal, his processors were not taken out of sync by the announcement and he spat,

"You seek to avoid death, become immortal. How do you propose this audible aim?" Enerjak discreetly ignored the sarcasm and pointed one finger, as thick as Metal's whole arm, to his own chest,

"What manner of being am I that is both organic and metallic; one who death cannot reap? I will pass this benevolent existence to my followers as soon as I am able, though for that I need to understand emotional programming, for that I need your software".

"My software", Metal purred dangerously, the claws on his hands extended once more, "is at the minute explaining to me that I would like nothing more than to shred your clumsy excuse for eternal life into ribbons, but I can not", he flicked one finger to the robotic echidna and spoke, "what is wrong with me; did you forget to repair something?"

"No Metal, we did not", the grandmaster stood to his full height, knowing he was safe and explaining why, "I've read your memory circuits, I know the purpose you were built for and I could never allow it; death must never strike, however deservingly", Metal's logical chips were going into overdrive, an unpleasant conclusion forming in his mind as the lord of the Legion finished, "therefore we have taken safeguards; your CPU was reprogrammed with a specific clause that ensures your offensive systems fail to discharge whenever an organic being is your target", two pairs of red LED eyes met as he finished, "you can never kill again Metal Sonic".

_I, am unable…it is not possible, this can not be_; now he knew what he was looking for, he scanned his internal systems once more, ignoring the damage he had suffered as he looked to deny this preposterous boat; only when the newly reprogrammed software showed up, modified mere days before, did it finally sink in. He could never again feel the thrill of besting his sworn opponents, no more would he experience the thrill of the hunt; the Legion had crippled him forever. With rage, impotent and useless now as he could never act on it again, he screeched,

"You had no right to enter there; I was created to wreak havoc and destruction, it is my purpose and you have destroyed it. How can I fulfil my core directives now?" Infuriatingly, even above and beyond all that he now knew, Enerjak remained calm, refusing to rise to his rage as he stated calmly,

"Maybe", he began, Metal devouring every word at the same time as envisioning driving his claws through the other robots optic circuits, "you should look at your core directive once more".

_No_; Metal failed to compute this for a second; surely not even these butchers, cripplers of mechanic perfection, would even dare to alter that, dream of changing the whole core of his focus, the whole purpose of his being. He delved in, unlocking the safeguards that, unknown to him, Lien-Da had laboured long and hard to defeat, to see the four words that had shocked her when they had blinked into life on her computer screen, the malevolence in the four green letters chilling her to the bone; that someone could construct a machine this complex with no other purpose that death nearly brought her to tears as she had read and re-read them:

Kill Sonic the Hedgehog.

So, to protect the interests of the Legion she had grown up in, and safeguard the life of someone she had never met, she had altered that statement of evil, changing it, altering it by a single word. A single word that now Metal read and understood as his core directive had changed:

Defeat Sonic the Hedgehog.

A strange, unfamiliar feeling welled up within the blue robot as he read this change, his whole world, his whole perception of his life and his goals shifting violently on its axis as some implications began to sink in. The feeling that he had lost control.

A mechanic scream of rage and fear combined chilled the honour guard outside the room; both shuddered for a second, looked at each other and simultaneously clicked the safeties off their weapons, just in case.

XXX

Hours passed, mostly unnoticed, by the shrine of the Master Emerald, all four Mobians who lounged by the side of the building merely waiting for the conclusion that three of them were now convinced would result in their unemployment. Having quickly located some of the plants Knuckles had assured them had antimicrobial properties, Charmy had helped Vector squeeze the juice into the cuts he'd suffered as Espio swiftly bound them with thick, strong leaves he's cut from a nearby bush with one of his stars. It was as they'd just finished the grisly task and sat down that Sojourner had cleared his throat; looking around, all three of the Chaotix saw with stone hearts that Spectre had emerged from the shrine, Mighty slightly behind him, looking a little vacant as the black guardian began,

"So, you three have allowed the Master to be seen".

"Yeah", Vector sighed wearily; _best to get this over with now_.

"And were unable to protect it alone against this, Metal Sonic?"

"One of us wasn't", Espio corrected, "when the other two arrived, were would have won". Spectre said nothing, but still looked grim; Charmy had a fleeting second to wonder why Sojourner wasn't smirking before the eldest of the Brotherhood spoke once more,

"Well then, in that case it looks like you need an extra pair of hands". In response to the baffled looks and mutterings, Mighty smiled and lost her acted vacant look,

"Apparently, Spectre's decided to extend my contract, as it were", her grin broadened as the news sank in with her now new team mates, all of which goggled at her even as smiles of their own began to bloom, "it's official boys; Mighty's here to stay".

XXX

Big sank down into his seat, the old armchair squashing slightly as it always did when he let it all go and just kicked back. Elation thrilled him; he was done for the day and for a good long while in the future; one last trip to run in a couple of days and that'd be that. _And now, for celebration_; he casually reached down into the pouch of his chair and drew out his pad, sharpening the pencil with a claw as he remembered a promise he'd made. Almost as soon as he did, one particular instance filled his mind and he chuckled, but no, he couldn't do that, it would be cruel. But the more he tried to block the image out, the more it intruded on his ideas, pushing them all roughly to the side to stand in full view of his mind's eye once more, proud and almost irresistible, but at the same time so outright cheeky he could barely give it credence.

"Ribbit"; the cat looked over at where Froggy was perched on one of his shelves, seeming to look at him before giving his attention back to the small cloud of flies that were buzzing around a sprig of freshly harvested lavender, tensing for the spring that would net him dinner. With a last chuckle, he finally gave up the fight and placed the pencil on the page, taking time out for one last look at his oldest friend,

"Well Froggy", he drew the first line with a grin and his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, "she never said it had to be a flattering drawing did she?"

"Ribbit!"

A/N: Well HHH, next chapter it'll all be okay again; the honeymoon ends and the two newlyweds are back!


	13. Chapter 13 The End of the Hunt

Chapter 13 – The End of the Hunt.

A/N: Sorry for the delay, long chapter, lots of electrical problems and life in general being a pain. Still, good to hear from a familiar reviewer after a bit of a hiatus:

GTP – So you think you know what Big's drawing huh? Well next chapter you can find out if you were right (can't say more than that or I'll let the cat out the bag!)

HHH – Yep, hope you enjoy the homecoming…

RGN – Any idea why they're all marsupials – I guess it's got something to do with the island continent of Australia, but I'm not an evolutionist by any means. Any, as for the ninth guardian, that's way too far in the future – a lot's going to happen before that (loads more fics :-))

Ri2 – Interesting question – I suppose to Mecha death, or in his case being offline, is an annoyance as it means he can't perform his directives; he can't really understand death. Dimitri, however, is still partly flesh and blood, so he can understand and in his case fear death; also, he can still suffer it. Remember that ceiling well; it might crop up again, you never know…

TH – As you command, more good work (hopefully).

"I can't believe we got away with that one" Charmy said again, shaking his head as Mighty ate her breakfast the following day; she looked up and smiled,

"Well, he obviously saw something there none of you lot did; he mentioned that mind thing he does, his unique gift, can work both ways, that's why it took as long as it did. He was telling me what was afoot at the same time as checking I was safe to join this crew".

"Just as well you were", the bee put on a sceptical, harsh expression as he wriggled his fingers menacingly, "we'd have had to kill you otherwise".

"Good luck trying flyboy" she commented dryly before her face fell slightly, her eyes misting over slightly as she considered something that had troubled her for the previous day and most of the night as well; seeing this, Charmy moved a little closer and enquired,

"Something up?"

"Yeah, that robot thing we all trashed", she answered after a second, taking a fortifying sip of orange juice before continuing, "it was Sonic, wasn't it? I mean, you all call it Metal Sonic – it was built after him right, but why? I know he's a hero and all, you couldn't read a paper without his mug on the front page a while back, but what's that thing got to do with it?"

_The things I could tell you_; the bee bit his lip softly – he knew he could fill the armadillo in on some of the aspects of what Metal Sonic was, and the threat he represented, but at the same time he knew the only way she'd ever get the full picture, short of living through what they all had, would be to get it right from the hedgehog's mouth.

"You'll have to ask him", Mighty looked over, this new idea never having occurred to her as Charmy carried on, "tell you what, ask Vec for a couple of days off; I'm pretty sure Tails could run you there and back and forth in a couple of days and that'd be long enough to get what you need to know".

"Good idea Charm"; the new voice made them both jump, watching as Vector eased himself into the kitchen, the stark white of the plasters and bandages that seemed to be keeping him in one piece highlighting against his green scales as Mighty, compassion saturating her body language, silently pulled him out a chair and motioned for him to sit down. As he slumped into the seat, Espio slinking in almost unnoticed behind him, the crocodile spoke,

"Missed most of that; what'd you want Sonic to tell you?"

"About Metal", Mighty confirmed, the vision of the duplicate flying away from her in the wake of her punch, the blood dribbling from his claws in crimson rain, still chilled her even if she'd been seeing it in her mind for several hours, "what is he, and why's he still alive – you said the Dark Legion rebuilt him, so who made him in the first place?"

"I can understand that", Vector assured her, a timely internal reminder letting him know that the armadillo was still new to the Chaotix and, as a consequence, all their friend's secrets and pasts, "but I can't let you go Mighty; not until Knuckles and Rouge show back up". She nodded, a slight smile on her lips as she pushed the coffee pot over to the injured reptile and answered him,

"I guessed as much; with that Microsoft reject on the loose we'll need to be alert, for him as well as the Legion if he's working for them. Don't sweat it, I can wait a couple of weeks; they should be back by then right?"

"Give or take", Vector swigged his drink direct from the pot, the others genteelly ignoring the breach of manners in light of his fight the previous day, "anyway, back on the agenda, I'm not convinced that one's enough, not against Mecha, so here's how it's goin' down. Charmy", the bee looked up at the mention of his name, "you and I'll sort out the pyramids, you two'll stay here JIC". Espio raised a protest as Charmy translated JIC to Just In Case for Mighty's benefit,

"You shouldn't go into the desert until your wounds are healed, and I mean that Vector", before anyone could level completely unfounded accusations of caring at him, the chameleon finished, "if sand gets into them you'll really regret it; the only thing worse than sand is salt in a wound".

"Ouch", the crocodile winced and looked down at the deepest of his injuries, the cut finally sealed behind a thick pad and bandage after a lot of convincing the previous night. Espio felt a tap on his shoulder and turned; something akin to apprehension bloomed on his face as he saw Mighty smile at him sweetly,

"You know what that means Espy"; _probably nothing good_; "you and I are going to get a lot closer while they're gone", a light blush slid up the chameleon's neck and cheeks despite his best attempts to stop it as Mighty, smile now full of sauce as she played to her audience, walked two fingers carefully up from his wrist towards his shoulder; she leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "my shell needs polishing again!"

XXX

He was stood ahead of her, almost naked now; she'd done the hard work by convincing him to allow her to try this, all she needed to do now was put the finished touches into place. Smiling seductively, Lien-Da stepped into the light at the centre of the room, speaking coolly in a voice so thick it could have been called maple syrup,

"Hey there", she stepped in as he turned to see her; she almost felt his desire to pull away, not let himself be subjected to this, but he would not, he needed this almost as much as she wanted it, "ready to go?"

A solitary nod, he really was the strong, silent type; _just the way I like them_; the female echidna smirked as she stepped even closer, resting her chin on his shoulder, her arms coiling around his back to begin their delicate work. He did not embrace her back, she hadn't expected him to but still, the disappointment was vague – she hadn't expected him to trust her, but it would have been nice to at least pretend, add some of his spice to the occasion. She carried on, her body brushing his as one by one the seconds ticked past, the slow, sensuous work continuing until, with a rattle and a very soft click, Lien came away slightly, his last garment in her hand. She saw his movement as she gently placed it to the side, now obsolete and useless, and snickered slightly,

"Aww, shyness, I like that in a guy", she pointed at his crossed arms, guarding his weakness as she finished, "don't worry, I've seen it all before". With that last cruel and well-baited barb, she returned to her original position, smiling into his eyes before suddenly falling to her knees before him.

_Incredible_; once more she felt herself lost in awe, her fingers tracing the air over his stomach cavity, drinking in every detail to perfection, so she could see it again and again in the future. She remained this way, merely looking, doing nothing more, until there was a barely perceivable ripple above her; he was impatient, he wanted her to finish what she'd started, but she was in control here; she would look for as long as she desired and nothing he did would stop that. Her personal wants pushed up, just a little further; not content to watch any more, she moved her arm forwards minutely, the skin of her very fingertips reaching to caress, to stroke what was before her. But they did not; his hand shot down and seized her own as a cat would pounce upon a mouse; she looked up, grimacing upon being denied her prize as his eyes blazed at her.

"That's far enough", Metal's growl permeated the air around them, pricking her bubble of contentment like a razor as he stated the reason he was here, subject to her scrutiny, "you are to upgrade my defensive capabilities; that was the promise your Lord made to me". Despite being held virtually captive by one of the most lethal machines operational in the world, Lien managed to smile,

"I know what I'm to do", she answered coolly, languidly in her own time, "I was merely checking to see if any damage had gone a little deeper than you main armour". The robot lowered his face, the pressure on her hand increasing until she let out an involuntary mewl of pain,

"If you know my internal systems as well as you say you do", he threw her arm backwards, the echidna struggling to keep her balance and avoid falling onto her rump, "you'll know my internal assayers have already repaired the shock damage; I am fully functional save the armour you are to replace. And for your sake", he leered at her, she could not hold his pitiless orbs of condensed blood, "it had better be as effective as you say it is".

"You've seen the test results", she snapped back, pointing at the chest plate she was about to attach to the robot's now bare torso, "you know the structure of that piece of kit withstands punishment hundreds of times greater than your original could". That Metal couldn't argue with; though the new and old chest plates looked virtually identical save the mangling the old one had received, the plate formed by Lien's team was honeycombed with thousands upon thousands of tiny, virtually microscopic chambers, each individually sealed and filled with mercury, the liquid metal. This structure allowed the plate to stand put to far more physical force than the original, solid metal plate had; just as well considering the assassin droid's recent experiences.

"Remember Metal; I restored you", Lien reminded him as she made his torso clamps ready for the attachment, "I better than anyone know what you can do, and if it were up to me you wouldn't get within a hundred yards of this armour. Unfortunately, the decision wasn't mine".

"No, it wasn't", he mocked dangerously, tracking every millimetre she moved with perfect clarity as he glowered, "you have crippled me Kommissar; I was a perfect killing machine, and you have prevented me killing – my nemesis may never know death by my hand because of your meddling. Aiding in my protection was the least your pathetic Legion could do to make up for this mutilation, and know this", he added venomously as she moved the new armour into position, busily securing the top of the armour, holding it still while the vacuum seals drained themselves of air and virtually fused robot and new technology, "I hold you responsible for my condition".

Those words backed her off, sending a chill down her spine as she took several steps back, for the first time actually afraid of the thing she had helped rebuild as it pointed at her, the crusted blood still there on its claws as it made a dread promise,

"You reprogrammed me, and took away my reason for living. You have no idea what that means to me, the consequences I shall suffer for that – all your doing. And remember, what you have done can be undone; if I am ever liberated from your pitiful shackles of restraint", his eyes flared like twin suns, endless orbs of death and violence from someone that knew of nothing else, no other way to be or to act, directed at her alone, "you will be my first target, and I will see you dead".

"You can try Mecha", her answer a minute later surprised him slightly; there was no false sweetness, no mockery and certainly no fear in her voice; a streak of steel was exposed as she hefted her screwdriver once more, not flinching under his bale scrutiny, "you can try".

XXX

The day was bright and the sun was shining; it was a good day for a flight. Tails stretched out lazily, rubbing his eyes as he fought off a yawn; he had no reason to be tired after his lay in for the past two days. _And there's a contract on today, should be a blinder as well_; a five Mobian family of echidnas, all paid for under his family ticket offer to minimise their costs at the same time as maximise his profit. He flicked his eyes to the alarm clock on the side at the same time as push his fringe up with one hand; he really needed to give that a trim sometime soon, it was getting in the way now. It was a little later than he'd intended, but he had enough time, just slip on some shoes and run a comb through his mop, then a bit of breakfast and off to work. He reluctantly peeled off the covers and rolled onto his feet, shaking his coat and stretching up with his arms as his lungs saturated his blood with oxygen, drawn in by a massive yawn. The plan was simple, neat, efficient and lasted until he stepped out his front door and barked his shin on the object not sitting on his porch.

_What the…?_; ignoring the dull throb of pain from his minor scrape, the fox looked at the squat leviathan of the parcel world with both confusion and admiration; _I ordered a few odds and ends to make the new Tornado, but nothing on this sort of scale – who would've sent this package for me?_ The idea that it might have been one of his elder brother's jokes flickered through his mind; he chuckled as he remembered a few years back, when he'd been younger and not quite as worldly wise, leaping around like a mad thing as a parcel fully two feet square had arrived for him on his birthday from Sonic. Fifteen minutes and countless layers of wrapping and smaller boxes later, the fox had come within a hairs-breath of garrotting the hedgehog to death with the pair of sacks that had nestled at the heart of the false present; a fate Sonic narrowly avoided by quickly delivering the real present of a year's subscription to the local physics magazine.

Banishing such thoughts, amusing as they might be now he could look back on them, the fox returned to the problem at hand and immediately sought out the most logical answer to the problem. Leaning over, he checked the addressee and his eyebrows rose; whoever had delivered this had known what they were doing. _Looks like I've got something else this time besides cream tea and chocolate._

XXX

Time rolled on as it always did, the Dark Legion continuing to gather strength enough to challenge the Brotherhood and embrace all in its mechanical nirvana, the Chaotix continuing with their tasks and keeping a ferocious guard over the Master Emerald, if anything increased to take into account the new threat of Metal Sonic. The robotic hedgehog himself, repairs now completed and fully functional, left Necronopolis after a few days, speaking with Enerjak and the being he now considered number two on his hit list for a final time,

"Your repairs and upgrade were the last time we shall aid you freely Metal", the cyborg echidna intoned solemnly as Metal casually inspected his claws again, "should you require further assistance, we will need payment". He casually dropped his hand and tapped a single finger on his steel chin,

"Let me guess", even synthesised, his voice still managed to drip scorn, "my precious emotions?"

"Correct", Lien-Da spoke, her metallic spines shielding one of her eyes from view as she fixed the one piece of technology she loathed and at the same time was in awe of with a withering glare, "we'll get the software next time you run into trouble". Metal didn't deign to bother with an answer, simply activating his jets and rocketing towards the door, blithely ignoring his intended honour guard of Legionnaires for this purpose, scattering them like nine pins as he headed for freedom and the ability to perform the experiments he had been planning during the entirety of his enforced stay within the Dark Legion base of operations.

No-one truly notices how time can fly; it's only when you receive the really good news that you get any sort of idea. Vector was therefore hit out the blue at the call from the Brotherhood a few weeks down the line in mid-afternoon, Locke talking to hit with triumph in his voice,

"Vector, that you?"

"Er, yeah", the crocodile replied, keeping his fingers crossed as he never quite knew where he stood with the dour former guardian, "everythin' okay?"

"Better than okay in fact; my son and his wife arrived back a few hours ago and are currently in Haven now". _Hold the phone_; the crocodile was dumbstruck for a second; _it can't have been that long already, surely not_.

"You serious?"

"Of course".

"What, well; how are they both? Are we gonna see them soon?" There was a brief chuckle before the echidna spoke again,

"They're at the minute sleeping off rather a nasty jet-lag, so you've got a day's reprieve, but Knuckles was adamant he wanted to see you all at the shrine first thing tomorrow morning. Or at least I think that's what he wanted; kind of hard to tell with all the yawning". Vector shook his head and smirked, remembering the guardian's boast that he could go three nights with no sleep before Locke spoke again, his voice now lower and giving the crocodile reason to pause,

"I did mention that there was a new member of your team but I didn't go into specifics; neither of them was in a fit state for any kind of explanation, but they know there's going to be someone new there. I didn't say a thing about that Metal hedgehog though, that'll be up to you, got it?"

"Sure", Vector nodded, trying to think of a way to slip that into a normal conversation without making the guardian keel over; so far nothing constructive was showing up, "I'll, think of something".

XXX

_Still thinking, come on inspiration, talk to me_; nope, nothing doing; he was just inside the shrine of the Master Emerald and he still couldn't even begin to explain what had happened over the time the two guardians had been gone. Maybe the sight of the returned newly weds would help, but not altogether unsurprisingly it didn't; they still looked much the same as ever as the four members of the Chaotix assembled before them, each group examining the other even as their unspoken words told them it was good to see each other once more.

To the crocodile's eyes, Knuckles and Rouge were still that same couple that had been driven away nearly three months ago, still with that spark of life and vitality erupting from every pore as they stood close, supporting each other unconsciously with their arms loosely on each others shoulders as though it was the most natural thing in the world. For a second, all was silent; in fact it was Knuckles who broke the silence,

"Well, there's no place like home", he commented as he swept his eyes around the shrine, lingering for a minute on the gently revolving Master emerald before finishing, "especially if you find it in the same state you left it".

"Well we did try, but I think we forgot the dusting" Charmy countered before focussing on Rouge and delivering a cutting riposte, "and anyway, we're all desperate to know; did you answer Amy's question?"

"Ah no", Knuckles slapped his forehead theatrically as Vector disguised his laugh behind a discreet cough, Rouge doing her best to ignore the bee's comment, though had looks been lethal Charmy would have been ash by now, "I forgot to make notes on that".

"And you claim to never forget a duty", Rouge decided the best way to avoid embarrassment was to deflect it on someone else, "Amy'll be so unhappy".

"I'm sure she'll understand", Knuckles turned to his wife with a smile a league wide on his face, trouble suffusing every inch of it, "after all, when it got to that stage I had more important things on my mind, and other bits of me" he added as an afterthought. Most of the assembled grimaced and tried not to laugh as Rouge, aware her cheeks were going slightly red, tried to claw back some dignity,

"You're not doing yourself any favours here".

"I don't need to", he was in full flow here and that was an opening, "until recently you were doing most of them for mooooffff!"

Mighty never saw the bat's foot move; one second Knuckles, or who she assumed to be Knuckles, was grinning at his wife gleefully, the next he was doubled over, hugging his stomach as Rouge glared at him, none of the male members of the Chaotix not daring to make a peep in case she turned on them. There was a deathly quiet as Knuckles sucked in air, just about straightening out and grinning painfully,

"I guess I deserved that".

"Too right you did", Rouge informed him venomously before her attention was averted, her fierce glare softening into a look of curiosity and humour as she surveyed the newest addition to the Chaotix, "now if you're quite finished gasping like a fish darling, maybe you'd care to introduce yourself". The former spy stepped forwards, extending her hand towards the other woman as Mighty reciprocated, not daring her favoured form of greeting in case it was taken the wrong way by either member of the union.

"Finally", the bat began, smiling broadly now as their hands met and shook softly, "there's someone else around here with brains, imagination and something resembling a sense of fashion; you have no idea how hard I have to kick his tail to get him into any sort of store"; she jerked a thumb at Knuckles, who huffed; Mighty grinned,

"If he's giving you a hard time, let me have a go; I'll get him moving". Out the corner of her eye, the armadillo saw Charmy moving slowly towards Knuckles and absent-mindedly wondered what he could be up to as Rouge answered,

"Sorry, er, Locke said your name was Michelle, is that right?" She nodded at Vector's discreet cough; sparing him the very briefest of glances she saw his subtle wink.

"Yeah, that's me; you're Rouge and I assume he's Knuckles, the guardian and your husband?"

"Sadly so", fortunately for Charmy's sake Rouge didn't look over her shoulder as he was almost directly behind her now, "somehow I let him trick me into walking up the aiiiiiiiyoulittlesod!" She shrieked in outrage as everyone else virtually fell apart laughing as Charmy took it upon himself to answer the question Knuckles had been tasked with finding out; quickly darting forwards, the bee grabbed a handful of the bat's jumpsuit and gave a hard yank upwards.

"I have the answer", Charmy stood posed like a missionary receiving divine guidance from his lord as everyone else bar Rouge and Espio fell about laughing, "she's wearing aauguugghhh!" He couldn't impart his knowledge for the very simple reason that two hands had fastened around his throat and were now attempting the throttle the life from him, Rouge's face scant inches from his own and her flaming eyes seeming to engulf his own as she hissed,

"Brilliant Charmy, you've set a new record", she shook the bee hard enough to get him to panic, though not to threaten too much as she had to hide a smile; _I really should have expected something like that_; "I've been back less than five minutes and I already want to kill you – not even Sonic was that fast off the mark!" Knuckles moved in to try and restrain his new wife, though as he was currently trying to fend off an internal assault of the giggles he wasn't too much help and Vector was long gone; it seemed as though Charmy was on his own in this one. Luckily though, Rouge made him an offer,

"If you swear never to tell anyone about this, I won't hunt you down and stab you to death with your own stinger, how's that for a deal?"

"Guh, gug, good!" The bee managed to gargle before taking a sudden deep breath, Rouge releasing him before straightening up and attempting to sort her errant clothing out, glaring at the Chaotix and her husband to get them to cut off their giggles. When all calm was restored, it fell to Knuckles to step forwards, make his own introductions and then ask,

"So, how did you get mixed up with this motley crew?" _Inspiration_; Vector felt a sudden light bulb ping on and thanked the star he was born under; _thank you kindly_. Mighty was drawing herself up to speak; he had to act quickly to cut across her,

"Ah, that can wait for a minute"; everyone looked up at the croc, least of all the miffed armadillo, though Vector didn't give them any attention as he focussed on Rouge, having to summon all of his acting talent to pull this one off, "there's somethin' I've been dyin' to do for ages now; I need a game of throw Rouge - I'm feelin' up to a record breaker".

XXX

_Why are you going to…?_; Mighty was baffled by this statement, trying to figure out what Vector meant by throwing Rouge and how was it some kind of game?

"Wow, that one really was a hit", Knuckles commented before stretching off and smiling challengingly at the leader of the Chaotix, "come on babe, please say yes; just for the look on his face when I shatter his record".

"Good luck trying furry", the crocodile grinned back as Rouge shook her head, her wings flexing as though in anticipation as she sighed dramatically,

"I don't suppose I get a say in this?"

"No" both future competitors answered for her; with a chuckle, the bat waved them outside, Mighty trailed just long enough to grab Espio and whisper frantically,

"What's throw Rouge? They won't really sling her around will they?" The chameleon threw her a glance, coupled with a disconcerting look,

"It's something that's better seen than explained; don't worry, no-one gets hurt", the armadillo nodded just as he added, "most of the time".

XXX

Mighty sat next to the rest of the Chaotix save Vector, who was stood shoulder to shoulder with Rouge as Knuckles paced to the front of the shrine, loosening off his shoulders and arms before spinning to face them and smiling widely,

"Okay Rouge, ready when you are". Mighty watched intently, itching to discover what this mysterious game was before suddenly the bat exploded forwards, sprinting towards her husband as he waited; the end was so sudden she nearly missed it – one second Rouge was leaping into her husband's arms, the next she was streaking upwards like a streamlined bullet, snapping her wings open after her velocity peaked and slowly gliding to the floor as Vector called,

"Barely hit the arch peak; this'll be a cinch". As the echidna and crocodile swapped places and catcalls, Mighty whispered,

"So that's throw Rouge?"

"Yeah", Charmy answered, spectating eagerly as Vector gave the bat the signal, "Knuckles originally developed it as a way to get stronger and we all tried it, even me, but it's also useful to get a birds-eye of the surroundings; you can do it with me as well, but I'm a lot lighter so you won't get as strong as fast as if Rouge gets thrown".

"Are you insinuating…?"

"No, no way and never; I'm in hot enough water as it is, any more and it'd be a sauna. Vector's round easy – it's played to three normally". Rouge seemed to agree to the bee's call, declaring as she landed once more,

"Yep, this one goes to Vector, a good two feet in it".

"I'm outta practise" Knuckles declared, looking up ruefully as the triumphant crocodile strode over to clap him on the shoulder and smile,

"Yeah, but this round ain't over yet", he turned, crossed his fingers and put the second part of his master plan into action, "hey Michelle, why don't you have a shot at it?"

The armadillo stood up in the silence that followed, though thankfully Knuckles didn't notice the stunned looks on the faces of Charmy and Espio as he agreed,

"Yeah, let's see what you can do; you got the basic idea right?" Mighty nodded as she arrived at the competing trio, giving a strained smile at the same time as whisper poisonously under her breath,

"Are you nuts?"

"They gotta find out somehow" Vector whispered back and Mighty cursed internally; she couldn't back out without losing a lot of face; with a would-be casual shrug, the armadillo trekked towards the shrine entrance and, slowly, turned around. She saw Rouge gear up for take-off before suddenly there was a blot of red in her peripheral vision and something she had heard a long time ago bolted back into her brain. Straightening, she called over quickly,

"Hey wait; Knuckles", the guardian looked over at his name, "Vec mentioned you can glide, that right?"

"Umm, yeah", the answered before the implications of that question sank in, "wait, you can't be serious?"

"You bet I am", now a lot more comfortable with this, Mighty hunkered down and cupped her hands, "when you're ready". She saw the husband and wife share a quick conversation before shrugging and Knuckles getting ready to take off,

"Brace yourself"; the echidna heard the whispered warning but before he could really think on it too much, his legs pistoned forwards and he shot away, racing and jumping at the right moment; he felt his foot impact on something soft that gave for a second, there was a loud shout and suddenly with a sick lurch of his stomach he became aware that he was going up an awfully long way, awfully fast.

XXX

Rouge saw her husband shoot up like a bottle rocket, but it didn't really sink in until there was a panicked yell and the mid-air figure began waving its arms and legs in an effort to exert some control of its upwards flight, now just about level with the midway point of the shrine roof and still climbing, albeit much more slowly. The bat's protective instincts snapped into place, as did her wings as she made to take off after Knuckles, but a firm hand on the shoulder broke her train of thought and Vector's voice in her ear steadied her somewhat,

"Hold your horses; he'll be okay – there, see"; _can't fault him there_; Rouge let out a breath she hadn't even know she'd been holding as Knuckles suddenly snapped into his normal gliding position and his lunatic flight became much more controlled; he span in tight circles overhead as he descended to the floor, occasionally curling up to drop altitude a little faster, though even at this distance Rouge could see his face and saw the fear that had so recently bitten her still chewing away merrily there. As he came to within ten feet of the floor and dropped, she rushed over, hugging him slightly as he tried to breathe again, seemingly on the verge of hyperventilation after such an unexpected shock.

"And it looks like we have a new record"; both treasure hunters looked over at the voice, Espio smirking before giving the nod at where Mighty was slowly heading their way, face torn between regret and subtle pride at such a feat, which, now Rouge actually considered it, was…hold on, throwing Knuckles halfway up the shrine of the Master Emerald, on your own? That was bloody incredible!

"What the…", she gasped for words, looking at the other woman and letting Knuckles stand on his own as his breathing returned to something resembling normal, "how did you do that?" A low chuckle from behind her; she and Knuckles both turned to see Vector clearing his throat and pointing at the armadillo,

"Sorry red, but you have to see it to believe it; we don't call her Michelle, she's Mighty Armadillo".

"Mighty", the guardian repeated before straightening up ad regathering something like a sense of calm and smiling weakly at the newest member of the Chaotix, "I can live with that, but a bit of a warning next time?"

"Sorry, Vector's orders"; she neatly diverted the blame to the crocodile, who held up his hands as at the same time simultaneously answered the silent questions and put the last step of his master plan into operation

"Mighty's been a real asset; she's the main reason we've got most of the stuff you wanted done. She came to use through Sonic, 'pparently, bluie used to be a dancer", there was a stifled snigger from Rouge, though Knuckles managed to somehow keep his face straight even as the same illusion pranced through his mind, "and she's his old partner. So, Mighty's the new member of the Chaotix, she's a really cool girl to have around and", the croc's tone suddenly dropped, his eyes misting over with seriousness as he felt phantom claws crushing his throat once more, "she's a large part of the reason I'm stood here talkin' to ya now".

"Vector", danger was tingling Knuckles' highly preserved sense of danger; even after a longer holiday than he'd ever dreamed of having, he could tell something that sobered Vector up this much had to be a bad thing, "what was that last bit again?"

"She, and the other two", Charmy and Espio were both indicated, the bee in particular looking more forlorn that usual as he realised what his older friend was driving towards, "saved my life about a month, three weeks back; while you were gone, someone made a snatch for the M.E."

"What?" Rouge glanced all around her as though expecting imminent attack, sharing her husband's burden as he looked at the crocodile harshly, desperate to know more,

"Right, who, and, well you must have driven them off, how'd you do it? Where are they now?"

"Probably the repair bay", Mighty commented, rubbing her knuckles as she replayed the punch she'd landed over again, "he'd need it after the number we did on him".

"Repairs; Dark Legion?" Rouge made an instant connection, but Charmy shook his head,

"Nah, well not quite; he said they repaired him, but we don't think he's working for them, not directly at least", the weight of expectation bore down on him and he relented to it, "it was Metal Sonic".

XXX

The rush of depression was so astute it was tangible; Knuckles staggered back a pace, his hands over his eyes as Rouge took a long, steadying breath, shaking her head as she reached out and put a hand on her soul mate's shoulder. Looking up, she heeded the need for the grisly details,

"What happened, in full?"

"He came flyin' in", Vector repeated the sequence of events from memory, carefully editing the ones he'd need to fill in privately, "I was first here on that magic pad your dad fitted; I saw him comin' and called for back-up. I tried to hold him and he'd have done me had Charmy not showed up; we slowed him enough to see Mighty run in. He musta thought she was you Knucks; he went straight for her, think he might have been confused from the dents we'd given him. It was short after that; they both hit each other once – he came of the worse, but o'course Mighty saw the M.E".

"I take full responsibility for that", Espio broke in suddenly, raising a hand as though challenging anyone to say he'd made the wrong choice, "I felt three stings and was with her at the time; I had a decision and I made it alone". Knuckles spared the chameleon a glance before nodding and refocusing on Vector,

"Let me guess, Spectre had to check her out?"

"Yeah, I thought we were busted for sure, but he looked to see who Metal was, saw it in Charmy's memory banks, and he decided she was safe and for her to stick with us".

"So here I am, and here I stay", the armadillo declared, her smile fading slightly though as she made a request to the guardians, "but I, er, I need a couple of days off soon though".

"What for Mighty?" Rouge enquired gently; the armadillo's troubled look turned to her as she tried to explain,

"It's that Metal Sonic thing; I know Sonic's a hero, and you guys all are as well, but what is he exactly – where'd he come from? I need a couple of answers about that and I want them from Sonic; he's got to be straight with me now I've actually seen the poxy machine".

"Good plan", Knuckles gave his approval, his lethal hands on his hips as he thought back to his own run ins with the mechanical nightmare, "I've got history with him, but Sonic's the authority of that contraption and…" a sudden spike of fear shot up the echidna's backbone, visions of the damaged android descending on helpless, unsuspecting prey and his next words were a hoarse whisper, "do they know?"

His fear clutched him harder as the questioning glances flickered left and right; they hadn't seen the depths to which the vengeful machine could sink and because of that the others were at grave risk. Desperate to be answered, he repeated,

"Do they know – Sonic and the others, do they know he's operational again?"

"Yeah", Charmy pierced the veil of confusion fastest and quickly eased his fears, "we rang them as soon as we'd patched Vector up; they all know and they've got their eyes peeled, but honestly, after the mess Mighty made of him, I don't think he'll be bothering anyone soon".

"Dangerous assumption", Rouge shook her head at the bee's idea, though she could see where he was coming from in thinking it, "he might be in league with the Legion don't forget; they could probably patch him up faster than even Eggman could". Charmy's face fell and he smacked his fist into his palm as he saw the flaw in his logic,

"Damn, should've thought of that" he chastised himself before, in an effort to lift the gloom, Knuckles broke the tension,

"Don't sweat it buzz-boy; he's not been back since, so I reckon we've got a little time. Just in case though we need to make sure we've got to get this place more secure from the air; I'll have to get the Brotherhood onto that. Before that though", the guardian gave a devilish smile that broke the team of assistant guardians out in cold sweats, "I want to see what you've managed to get done, and woe betide you if I see anything wrong with it".

"What can you do to us", Espio mentioned sardonically, balancing on his stars on a fingertip, "we've faced down Metal Sonic, what's worse than that?" Rouge favoured him with a basilisk smile,

"How about a day-long shopping trip with me Esp; believe me I can make them hell, just ask Knuckles".

"No, no, bad memories", the guardian shook a hand in front of his face as through trying to ward something terrifying off, "you take her up on that Espio and you're a braver Mobian than I am". He didn't answer, but from the way he bad-temperedly stowed the visible star, everyone took that as him backing down.

XXX

Rouge raised a few puff of dirt as she landed again, licking her lips and commenting,

"Very nice, especially in those tight corners; I take it that was you two?"

"Mostly, but Mighty and Vec kept throwing us the stuff up" Charmy explained as he tried not to beam too much at the praise as Knuckles swung down from the pillar he'd climbed up and tested the ropes on,

"Have to agree, this is top-rate work; thanks guys. I won't have to touch this place again for at least a couple of years". Vector smiled and clapped the echidna on the shoulder,

"Glad we could help, but if you really wanna see somethin', get a load of this", he guided Knuckles around the nearest corner; the guardian looked around,

"So what am I supposed to be seeing?" He asked, perturbed at the seeming lack of decoration on this area of the ruins; he looked over his shoulder to see Vector whip his head back, seemingly checking they were alone before lowering his voice and whispering,

"Nothin' to see but plenty to hear; I had to tell you alone Knucks, you're the only one who'd have any idea", the echidna nodded, recognising the urgency in Vector's voice as the croc continued, "right, when I was scrapping with Metal, well, it didn't go very well; it ended up with him like this", he gently extended one of his larger hands; Knuckles didn't raise a protest as he felt the scales clasp softly around the fur high on his neck, easing his head back even as he imagined Metal Sonic being a lot less compromising in the strangle, "and his other hand like this". Rolling his eyes down, Knuckles saw Vector raise his other hand, fingers mimicking the claws he knew Metal had on his hands and shuddered as Vector released his grip and saw the thoughts in his eyes, nodding as he made his own feelings plain,

"Yeah, I know; I shouldn't be here now – I reckon when Metal's got you like that, over seven seconds is a lot longer than the average life expectancy".

"Got that right", Knuckles' face was grim as he ran this scenario and its possible implications over in his head, "Metal should have killed you".

"Right, but there might be a reason he didn't, any ideas?" Knuckles shut his eyes in thought for a second before, realising the others would be getting suspicious soon, he frowned,

"Can't see it – spill".

"The Legion repaired him, he might be under orders not to kill; maybe he just wanted to throw a scare into us, rattle us by threatening the biggest and ugliest of the lot".

"Don't do yourself down", Knuckles chuckled a little before a slight neural link was made and he looked curiously, "you think Dimitri might be behind this – Metal knows where the Master is, he uses him to get it, but won't let him kill?"

"I thought of that, might be something he'd try, or his family", Vector added a second later, raising a finger as if to emphasise the point, "Amy mentioned something about grandkids". Knuckles scratched his chin before realising time was up; any longer and they'd be prompting awkward questions, so he quickly wrapped it up,

"We'll keep all our eyes open in case he shows back up, but until then we can't say anything for sure. We count Metal, if he ever shows back up, as thought leaving you was just a façade; he's armed and lethal, okay?"

"My thoughts exactly"; Vector rubbed his neck unconsciously before following the guardian back out, Knuckles openly commenting the crocodile's idea of tying the leaning pillar both underneath and overhead for double security.

XXX

Travelling back in the Chaotix's van, the two returned treasure hunters were eagerly anticipating their homecoming, Knuckles in particular looking forwards to seeing Lara-Le again.

"I've got so much to tell her", he sat back as though reliving some wonderful sights in his head, "there's so much out there to see and do; she needs to be there and live it".

"Best bet's Tails then", Charmy commented as Vector swung a hard left and the silhouettes of the Echidnopolis skyline hove into view, "he's got a right little racket going now; I owe him half my comic collection". Rouge looked at the bee with an eyebrow raised; Mighty saw it and laughed,

"The godfather over there found out his own little secret; he's feeding the Echidnopolis sugar addiction on his own and raking in a killing in comics; Tails gives him the mints and he flogs them on". Rouge thought this over and laughed, punching Charmy on the shoulder slightly,

"A scheme after my own heart; see a need, fill a need, and if you can make a bit of cash out of it good for you".

"Hey, no muscling in on my turf", Charmy put on a gangster expression and folded his arms severely, "I own the Polo express around here; you'll take it from my cold dead hands".

"That could be easily arranged" Espio's acerbic remark seared the conversation like a branding iron; though she'd never have admitted it to his face, Rouge was grateful when the Chaotix rolled to a stop outside their new home and she could leave the chameleon's presence; something about him just rubbed her up the wrong way. As they prepared to go their separate way, Knuckles walked over and extended his hand to Mighty, offering two words to seal his approval of her appointment,

"Welcome aboard". She shook and smiled,

"Thanks, just glad I can make myself useful". Rouge watched on intently; as her husband dropped his grip with the armadillo, she tipped Mighty a wink,

"Believe me, Knuckles can find a use for anything", she looked up, starry eyed, "I never thought you could do that with an old lampshade…"

"Oi, I got a kick for that", Knuckles blustered under his suddenly red face, feeling the eyes of the Chaotix on his back trying desperately not to think of what the bat had meant by that and spectacularly failing; to disguise this he set his hands against her shoulders and began pushing her away, muttering, "one rule for me and another for the wife; I'm a hen-pecked husband already. Come on you; I want to see my mum, and believe me if you can't keep it shut then I'll find a use for my fists you really won't like".

"Help, spouse brutality" Rouge called as a few splutters escaped the watching Mobians.

"Not yet it's not; come on or we'll be late, she said a one o'clock table"; as the bat fell into step with him, the guardian moved away, waving over his shoulder as Vector disappeared inside, Charmy hot on his heels with Mighty not far behind. All three bundled their way inside before bursting out laughing, Mighty leaning against the wall as she asked,

"How did those two get it together; one of them should be dead by now".

"We've all asked; the only thing we can say is that love works in mysterious ways", Charmy gasped, shaking as he thought over the verbal exchange of seconds ago and giggled again, "put it this way, if by hating someone you really mean you love them, those two are together forever".

XXX

"Hey son", Lara had seen him coming and embraced him once more, as always in these priceless seconds she was content again, "have a great time I hope?"

"You bet we did", Knuckles answered as he slowly released his mother, letting her greet Rouge this time, the bat stooping to accept Lara's embrace; she was taller but more slender than most echidnas, Knuckles being the exception rather than the rule as he could see her eye to eye.

"Well, come on then", Wyn rubbed his hands eagerly, a waiting grin on his face as he pressed, "lets have it all, and don't leave anything out – wait, it was a joke!" He pleaded as Lara suddenly turned to face him, a venomous Look reducing his plans to ruin even as the newlyweds chuckled and shared a knowledgeable glance; _I don't think he'd believe half the things we saw while we were gone_.

"Just as well Wyn", Lara smiled with malice backing her to the hilt, "I'd hate to think it was anything else or…"

"I know, I know", the older echidna raised a hand in defeat before using it to indicate the entrance to his restaurant, "come on, dinner awaits, and after that, you've got a present you two".

There was a second of silence before Rouge wetted her lips and spoke,

"Oh Wyn, you didn't have to…"

"I didn't, and neither did Lara for that matter", the brown echidna raised both hands in a gesture of bafflement, "no idea where it came from, but it's here now and it's addressed to you pair. Any ideas?" Both guardians shook their heads,

"None, but anyway", Knuckles took his wife by one arm and his mother by the other and guided them towards the entrance of the restaurant where Wyn worked, "we'll find out in a while. Until now, I'm just dying for a dish of those clams in pepper sauce".

A few minutes later, as four glasses of sparkling white wine clinked together softly, the guardian sat back in his chair, surveying what he counted now as part of his extended family and turned briefly to look out the window and drink in the city that was all at once his to explore, his to own and his to protect. Knuckles faced front again, took a sip of his wine, looked at his wife with love in his eyes then took a deep, clearing breath,

"It's good to be home".

XXX

It was early evening, just before the customary argument as to who's turn it was to complete the dreaded washing and drying up, when the phone went; Charmy, close enough to squeeze through the press, dived for his chance and snatched up the receiver, pausing for a fractional look of triumph as he was out the way of argument for a few seconds before questioning,

"Hello?"

"Hi, Charmy"; _wait, that's not…oh no_; the bee's guard shot up as he recognised the voice and the face that it was constricted as though fighting to stay coherent,

"Rouge, are you okay?" Dizzying scenarios of doom span through Charmy's mind, the phone pressed hard against his ear as he spoke again, urgency in his voice, "what's happened, are you both all right?"

"Yeah", the bat paused for a second, Charmy thought he heard her blow her nose, "we're both, listen, could you all come around to Lara's place. There's, something, you need to…" Unable to listen to the sadness, or what sounded like sadness, in her voice any longer, the bee cut her off,

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes; hang on until then okay batgirl?" There was a watery giggle from the other end,

"Only Knuckles calls me that buzz-boy. Please, just hurry". Nodding even though she couldn't see him, the younger Mobian hung up and turned and ran face-first into the argument that still raged in the kitchen. _Right_; there was no way he'd shout above this lot; _time for the patented ear-piercer_; the bee placed both his fingers in his mouth and blew a long, loud note.

"This better be important Charmy" Vector demanded, hands still over his ears as the lingering echoes of the whistle rattled around his eardrums. He knew it had to be though; the bee hardly ever blew that note unless something huge was going down, or the alarm clock had broken. He nodded,

"It is", he rushed into the hall, donning his scarf even as his eyes remained fixed on his friends, "that was Rouge, she sounded like she was either in or close to tears and she wants us to get to Lara's pronto. So let's move".

"On it" three voices called back, a stampede to the shoe rack ensuing as the Chaotix mobilised, each unsure as to what they were letting themselves in for but determined not to let their friends down.

XXX

The chameleon, arriving slightly ahead of everyone else, rattled the door again with a succession of knocks, his eyes quickly checking that the others weren't too far behind him. He raised his hand absent-mindedly; only his keen ears notifying him that the door had been opened and allowing him to stall the knock he had planned. As he heard the drone of Charmy's wings above him, Espio turned to look at the owner of the property and, despite even his obfuscated emotions, let out a low breath of relief.

Lara-Le stood in the doorway to her home, looking down as the Chaotix arrived, her posture and pose identical to normal, form the neck down at least. It was the face that showed different; there were tear tracks in her fur, but now her eyes were clear and if anything looked humble, as though some great truth had been revealed before them. Such was the power of the conviction that, even when Mighty and Vector screeched to a halt, they too were rendered speechless despite the questions that burned within them. Lara quietly registered they were all there and stepped aside, a single word, her tone awed but clear, giving them direction,

"Lounge". So guided, mystified by what could have happened here, the four Mobians trooped inside, suspicious glances flickering between them before Charmy, slightly ahead due to his size, came into the entrance to the echidna lady's front room and immediately came to a halt, stopping dead with Vector, just behind him, following suit a second later. Cheated of a view, Mighty had to shove past the immobilised crocodile, though as she pushed Vector didn't react, his lips moving to form words so quiet she barely heard them.

"Sweet Jesus". _What_; she pushed gently, moving him slightly, desperate now to see what had ensnared her friends;_ what is…?_

Her train of thought hit a sudden buffer and stopped dead; she was gone and lost in the scene before her. She knew that if she breathed, the veil would flutter in the slight wind of her breath, a word would break the moment, shatter the yearning want and love she could see in their eyes. Speech shut off, the armadillo took in every detail she could see feverishly, storing it away for all time; the way the coloured light from the window behind the scene dappled the white gown, the slight ruffles in the cloth atop the alter. Even the heat haze from the candles, how that subtly altered the background, warping the stained glass image behind them in a way that challenged the eye to follow clearly. All these details were spare a single glance; the vast majority of her focus was lavished on the central figures, the priest behind them somehow diminished in her sight as her eyes revealed the echidna's hands, how he must just be lifting the veil of the bride from her face, the thin material beginning to flutter down her back, catching the light as it did so, surrounding her head in a pearly white halo. Both bride and groom were standing, in their faces was etched relief, yearning, deep, eternal love and maybe, just maybe, the tiniest flicker of fear, unknowing as they were of quite what they were letting themselves in for. _But you'll find out_; she blinked back tears, she couldn't let them fracture this perfect image, willing as she was for the last act to take place; _just a few seconds, and you'll know, you will know._

"It", the solitary word, spoken stutteringly and unsure, was enough; the painting was once more canvas and oils but the promise was still there; look at it too long and it would ensnare you once more, wrap you up in arms of comfort and allow you to share the magic of two young lives culminating their love at long last, "it's…"

Knuckles couldn't finish, there was no word for what this painting was; it the finest, most triumphant moment, if not second, of his life encapsulated, immortalised; from the second he and Rouge had opened the large brown paper package that contained this miracle, both had stood before it, back at the altar in their hearts and minds, tongues silenced, questions unasked as all were enraptured by the magnificence of the memory. Seeing her husband silenced again, Rouge finally tore her eyes away and spoke in the voice Charmy had mistaken for a sob,

"It's The End of the Hunt, and it's for us". Following her shaking finger, the Chaotix saw the thin thread of gold at the corner of the painting, all at once apart and integrated faultlessly into the master work; as Rouge had said, the picture depicted the culmination of a long and difficult quest, wherein the two Mobians now holding each other and gazing at the enshrined memory, had found and claimed the greatest treasure of all – the love of the other, forever and eternally.

A/N: So they're back and all is well, but what is Mecha experimenting with?


	14. Chapter 14 Nine Lives an Advantage!

Chapter 14 – Nine Lives an Advantage!

A/N: Coming to the end of this fic shortly, but next chapter might be delayed due to excessive travelling and workload. Reviewers as always get the first shout:

HHH – Yeah, I hoped people would really get an image of the picture from my words; hope it worked okay for you. Speaking of pictures; is your finger all right now – it wasn't actually broken was it? That hurts like hell:-(.

RGN – That's a good point; not wanting to be rude, but Australia's probably not the easiest place in the world to live; having more babies means mathematically some of them will survive, but what about the dingo? Any idea why it's the only mammal?

Ri2 – The ceiling, as I said, is important, but no Lien's not really attracted to Metal – she's not quite that twisted (yet!). And yes, Dimitri does have honour, but that's not quite the reason he didn't just take what he needed and let Metal rust – more in future chapters.

GTP – Ahh, the site ate the address; I'd love to read your idea but can't find it. You might need to mail me; I'm really interested now. Please tell me!

TH – As you command, oh mighty one – more writing to appease you (p.s – get ready to kick some fat Italian behind!)

_Okay, this is it, last time_; with a determined glare, Cream set her sights on the runway beneath her, concentration etched in her face as her now well-practised eye took in everything the instrument panel had to tell her in one fluid glance. Everything was perfect, now it was just a case of slowly easing the stick to where it needed to go, gently but firmly, enough control to make the landing seem as controlled and calm as possible.

"That's it", she heard the soothing voice to the side of her as her hand ever so slowly eased off its pressure, watching the altitude drop, "slow and steady might not always win the race…"

"…But at least it doesn't end up splattered on the tarmac". Cream finished the saying she'd come up with in concert with her instructor, though her face was still grim and concentrating as suddenly the Mystic Ruins airstrip lurched upwards into view. For a second she hesitated, but with a hasty breath she corrected her fractional error, calming her frenziedly hammering heart as the pitch of the Tornado's engines died away, killing the speed of the aircraft to an acceptable, safe level for landing. There was a tense few seconds, there were always a tense few second; Tails had made it perfectly clear that even after years of flying all kind of aircraft he still had butterflies in his stomach as he levelled out, the rise of the aircraft's nose giving the illusion of the plane skimming just above the surface of the runway rather than coming in to touch down on it. With a sudden bump, the rabbit sighed in triumph and relief; that was touchdown, the hardest bit was over – now all she had to do was put on the brakes gradually to make sure the plane didn't stall or flip over. _Mind you, Tails did say anyone who cartwheels an aircraft on a runway this straight must have the brains of a gnat_; so cheered, Cream lowered the power levels of the engines and casually glanced out the side of the cockpit; beyond where the turbines of Tails' plane were slowing down to idle speed, she could just make out the flash of colour of her mother's car, though she couldn't see Vanilla herself.

"An A grade pass", she looked back around and found herself mimicking Tails' ecstatic grin; even though he knew she was well versed in flying, possibly in a better starting position than he had been as her ears behaved a lot more like plane wings than his tails did, her progress was still managing to surprise him. _Not even a dozen lessons under my belt and I'm already landing_; the rabbit had an understandable swagger in her manner as the Tornado finally came to a complete stop and, with a quick flourish and suitable smile, she flicked her left ear up to pop the cockpit button,

"Well, after you instructor" she grinned pleasantly, though Tails folded his arms, his own smile a little more forbidding as he drummed his fingers on the fur of his biceps.

"Perfect up until the very last point Cream"; _what, no way_;

"How?" She was indignant about this; she'd spent most of last night's supposed homework time memorising the pointers he'd given her on landing and that had been picture-perfect, "I bled the power at the right speed, I touched down great and we've got at least a quarter of the runway left".

"And therein lies the problem", Tails cut her off with a single majestic finger twirling the air; smiling sardonically, the fox pointed to where the open mouth of the Tornado's hanger yawned open like a mighty whale's maw, "didn't I mention I wanted the Tornado parked for refuelling before tomorrow".

_Ah, yeah, you might have mentioned…_; Cream chocked off her arguments, deflating almost visibly as her cheeks underwent a light suffusion of rose and she gave an embarrassed giggle,

"Oops, sorry Tails, I must have forgotten". He dropped his act and shook his head, shucking off his restraint at the same time as offer both consolation and warning,

"Don't worry, I'll roll it in later; you've done all the hard work by lining it up dead straight. Just remember though, they might say something like that on the exam right at the start and they'll mark you down for it if you don't remember, so stay sharp in case they do".

"That's mean", Cream goggled at the sheer evilness of such an act, "you're taking an exam for goodness sake, you're under pressure from the word go".

"That's what they're testing for Cream", Tails was serious as lent his hand to pull her up, eyes hard as he remembered his own experience; the nerve-jangling hell of his exam for his amateur pilot's license – he was certain they'd made it harder than normal because he was so young, but even so he'd squeaked through, the minor mishap of stalling on take-off put down to nerves and discounted, "being a pilot's a hard job to do; think about it, you've got lives in your hands, so you've got to listen to orders. Imagine forgetting an instruction for a flight tower".

"I'd rather not"; Cream could picture the carnage that might result from that and resolved even harder to listen to everything Tails said when he was training her. Seeing her face darken and for some reason discouraged by that, the fox put a compassionate hand on her nearest ear and gave a small rub, smiling as he did so,

"Hey, that was only a little thing; I tell you what, you put on a show like that when this is for real and they'll sign you up for the pro license like a shot".

"Really?" Her face brightened, eyes brighter now and that cheered the fox no end; without really thinking about what he was saying, words came to him,

"Oh yeah; nothing wrong, you got the pitch tunes right, covered the engine like a pro and the landing was inch perfect – you're a natural at this".

"Yay", Cream gave her victory pose as Tails watched on, smiling at making her feel happy again, "I'm gonna make them all so jealous; the teachers all laughed at me when I said I was going to be a pilot – can I borrow the Tornado, please?"

"No", much as he liked the image of Cream performing a flypast of her school, he couldn't let her try that. At least, not yet, "when you get the license, then, maybe".

"Aww, you are so sweet, I, ah…"

Cream blushed and turned away slightly, looking out the side of the cockpit as Tails did likewise, though a weird, strange warmth, not the spicy heatedness of a proper blush, swell up from inside him, robbing him of the ability to breathe properly and making him feel light-headed. _She called me sweet_; in his delusions, his mind started drawing lurid choreographs and comparisons; _maybe she'll think I'm an ice-cream – I'd love to be one if she's eating…_;

"Hey", the shout from below broke his warped ideas and jerked him back to reality with equal pangs of both regret and relief, "are you pestering that fox up there young lady?"

"No I'm not", Tails turned around to see Cream shout back to her mother, though even from here he could see her face was brick red, "we were, er, having a civilised conversation about how I can get better".

"Right; I'll believe that when I hear it", the older rabbit spoke light-heartedly before ordering, "come on; sorry to hurry you along but we really need to get to the stores before rush hour starts".

"Coming mum"; still without looking at him, Cream descended from the Tornado's perch with Tails following a second later, only just remembering to take his keys from the ignition as his mind seemed to have been filled with a strange, warm fog that dulled it with a pleasant, dreamy haze. His feet touched the floor and quickly shaking off the cloying mist, he walked over to the pair of rabbits and returned Vanilla's smile,

"Thank you again Tails; how's she doing now?"

"She's, ah, coming along fine", Tails tried desperately to be complimentary without giving the elder rabbit a chance to suspect the conversation they'd just had the thoughts it had germinated, "did you see her come into land; that was first class work. She's going to be an excellent pilot Vanilla; I don't care what her teachers say".

"Neither does she, more's the pity", Vanilla looked down at her daughter smirking as she tried to hide her face with her ears, "something about not putting in enough effort on the Maths homework".

"I hate Maths" Cream countered, shaking her head as she tried to turn the argument on its head for her advantage, "and I'm doing fine at everything else".

"True", Vanilla conceded before looking at her watch and starting, "but anyway we really have to get moving; thank you Tails"; she reached from her purse out of habit even before Tails leant forwards and clasped it shut, speaking sternly,

"You should know by now; I don't charge for friends, get it?" The elder rabbit put a hand over her eyes, chiding herself for her forgetfulness as Cream brightened,

"Yeah mum, telling me off for forgetting things", satisfied at scoring one up over her mother, she turned to her instructor, a little more unsure here as in the end she extended a hand and said in a voice that held more bravado than actually courage, "thanks for everything Tails; see you, er, next time?"

"You, um, you sure will", his tone was identical in pitch and composition to her, putting a brave face on internal doubts and uncertainties, "see you later Cream". She nodded enthusiastically, her smile still unsteady but gaining strength eventually,

"You bet; goodbye Tails, and thanks again". The fox didn't want to drag this parting out any longer so didn't answer, merely nodding, escorting his guests to their car and waving as they pulled off, his eyes for some reason refusing to leave Cream's window until Vanilla drove the car from sight.

XXX

For a few minutes, the fox merely stood, watching where the car had gone and holding his breath, trying to get a hold of his bucking emotions; since Cream had spoken he'd been in some kind of mad dream. _I need a shower and a drink_; Tails visibly shook himself and restored mobility to his legs, forcing them to transport the rest of his body back to his house and workshop, already planning in detail what he fancied for a snack and to drink. _Better keep healthy, got some fresh apples and kiwis so I can get a decent fruit salad, and I've got plenty of milk, so…hey, what's that?_ Previous thoughts of food, and poignantly the memories of the rabbit girl the serious preparations of his light snack were disguising, were buried by confusion as he saw the image on his front door. Moving up to see it more closely, he saw the two overlaid squares were actually an A4 manila envelope and a smaller scrap of paper atop it, both pinned to his front door with one tack. As he came closer, Tails noticed writing on the topmost piece and even at this range, he could tell who it was from. Still, just for interest's sake, the fox read what his friend had sent him this time:

_Hi Tails._

_Sorry I couldn't see you directly; you just took off as I arrived. I saw you flying a little bit thought – looks exciting! I bet Cream's enjoying it._

_Anyway, I need a favour; next time your up on A.I. could you drop this envelope off to Mighty? Just say I've made up a promise then get out of Dodge!_

_Thanks_

_Big_

Now that was weird; Tails blinked and scratched one of his ears as he tried to make sense of this. What promise was he on about here, and more to the point, when had it been made? What in the name of the good lord above had those two got up to in the swamp that night?

A couple of scenarios, each as unlikely as the next, tickled the fox's funny bone even as his rational mind denounced them; _after all, where would Big get a harmonic and sheepskin at that short notice?_ Carefully unpinning the envelope and keeping the note with it, the question of what this was nibbled at Tails, but for the time being he tucked it away in his mind at the same time he stashed the plain envelope next to the batteries he had for Vector and the mound of mints he had to deliver for Charmy. Surveying this mass of sweet smelling menthol, the fox shook his head as he opened the fridge; _I'm starting to like these Chaotix runs – at least they keep my Tornado smelling fresh._

XXX

"So what do you think to all of this then Mighty?" Rouge held the door of the store they had chosen as their target open as the armadillo stepped through; knowing the deeper meaning of the bat's words, she shrugged,

"It's alright I suppose", she said carelessly, picking out the shorts she was looking for with well-practised ease and heading for them, "it's got risked attached, but then again what hasn't these days? You must feel the same way right?"

"Oh yeah", Rouge smiled before suddenly the light in her eyes dimmed a little and she shivered, "sometimes Mighty, I lie awake at night, not sure what'll happen tomorrow – now we know the Overlord's back it's just got a whole lost work. His job could be fatal to everyone we know, and I know he'd rather die there than risk it falling into the hands of a tyrant".

"We all would Rouge", the bat's ears perked up as she heard the armadillo's softer voice, "look at it this way; you two aren't on your own any more, you've got us there to lend you a hand. Even if that's not enough, Tails can run the others here in what, an hour max? We've never been safer than now, even the Brotherhood says so and I'm not one to judge but Spectre looks like he's got a rather thick neck".

"Like a tree trunk" Rouge smiled before Mighty laughed and shook her head,

"Me and tree trunks, now there's something you two have got to see", registering her new friend's querying glance the armadillo offered, "put it this way – if Vector's the pruning shears, I'm the chainsaw".

"Right", Rouge sniggered as she saw the comparison, "you've done most of the heavy work haven't you?"

"Yeah, that was one of the reasons Vector and the others hired me, now that was a laugh", Mighty beckoned the bat a little closer under the guise of checking price tags, "there I was just playing a quick hand with Sonic and the others at his place, sort of drowning my sorrows at not getting this job on the mainland, then Shadow suddenly goes all dawn of the dead on me, staring like I'm some kind of freak and sort of lurches out the room. We're all mystified until he calls Tails and then they both come back grinning like nutters. Of course, I have to ask as he's beaming at me – I tell you, I half-expected him to announce he'd booked a table at the Ritz for two and was whisking me off for a romantic dinner", Rouge bit her lip, face screwed up as she tried not to picture Shadow wining and dining Mighty by candle light, a rose clenched delicately between his teeth as he span her around the ballroom; the armadillo waited for her to choke back her giggles before finishing, "yeah I know, I laughed about it later as well, but what he had done was almost as good; he fixed up an interview with the Chaotix and things just snowballed from there. I owe him one for that now I think of it".

"Believe me coffee is the way to go with Shads" Rouge affirmed as she remembered the black hedgehog's seeming addiction to the hot black stuff, "send him a couple of jars of home brew and he's your friend for life".

"Better than Sonic used to be then – a couple of Pixie Sticks and he was anybody's when we were kids".

"Really?" _Fodder for the cannon, load up and store away – commencing bombardment at the earliest opportunity_; never one to miss an opportunity to gain priceless information, the bat sidled a little closer and asked neutrally, "what was he like as a kid?"

"Sorry, my lips are sealed", chuckling, Mighty very gently buffeted the suddenly forlorn bat's shoulder, "he said you might try something like that; I'm under oath not to tell you any of the embarrassing secrets he had when he was eight".

"Oh you teaser" Rouge mock-snarled, though her eyes widened as she saw Mighty pick something off the rack, "going for those?"

"Yeah, they're my size, look hard wearing as well".

"Nah, these are what you want if you need stuff to last", Rouge hoisted off a pair of shorts very similar to the ones Mighty held, pointing at the label as though offering sound proof of her decision, "look at the materials; these'll last for donkeys years". Mighty scrutinised the small white tag and eventually replaced the pair she'd been after originally, nodding her thanks as she made her selection.

"Thanks, glad you're here Rouge; not meaning to call you posh or anything, but you've got a better fashion sense than me".

"Ah, just something that comes over time; took me years to get it right – the guys told you what I used to do right?"

"They, let a few facts slip", Mighty assured her diplomatically, not wanting to drop her work mates in it with the whole truth; after all there were a few facts in there she didn't believe herself – Charmy's story involving Eggman, a blindfold and a couple of sweet nothings just couldn't be true on the grounds of good taste alone. Looking down, the newest member of the Chaotix checked her basket and nodded,

"Right, I'm cool, got everything I need; just you".

"Nah, I'm aright for now, just window shopping mostly, but don't worry", as if by magic something appeared in the bat's hand and she tapped it against the armadillo's hand basket, "this one's on me".

"No Rouge, you can't…"

"I don't intend to", she assured serenely, expanding with a sigh as Mighty gave a quizzical glance, "I keep telling him, but he never remembers. Hopefully he'll have realised by now".

XXX

The peace of the shared home was shattered by a dull slap as Knuckles allowed his palm and forehead to collide at high speed, a groan of frustration escaping as he dragged his hand downwards in torpid defeat,

"That's what's missing from this equation".

"S'up red?" Vector looked over from his seat, lowering the paper as the echidna rummaged in his pocket, checking his wallet and sighing,

"Knew she looked a little too cheerful this morning; I've been had again", the guardian tipped his wallet upside down and nothing fluttered to the floor, Knuckles heaving a sigh as once more the cupboard was bare, "she's swiped my card".

"Isn't that stealing?" Charmy looked up from his comic, mild alarm on his face as he asked; Knuckles shook his head and sat back,

"Normally yeah, but this is different; we've got a joint account and our own cards, so the money technically belongs to both of us".

"So why…"

"Because she's Rouge, she can and I let her get away with it", the guardian chuckled and shook his head, the pillow behind his thumping slightly as his dreadlocks battered it, "it's just a game we play; she tries to steal something, I have to catch her. She's won this time, but she'll pay for that tonight". There was a muffled giggle from the floor followed by a chant,

"Go Knuxie, go Knuxie, go Knuxeeheeuuurrgh!" Charmy was cut off as the guardian moved like a striking snake, suddenly one of his feet was slowly crushing the bee into the floor and he smiled down at his captive,

"Sorry Charmy, don't think I quite caught that", he increased the pressure slightly and the bee squawked as more air was forced out, "what were you saying?"

"Nuh, nothing"; he tried to look innocent at the same time as not let his stomach flop out his mouth, thankfully after a second of glaring the guardian took his foot off the gas and let the younger Mobian go, nothing but pride damaged.

"And let that be a lesson buzzer", Knuckles warned sagely as he retook his seat, "don't mock without keeping your eyes…" A sudden knock at the door interrupted the lecture, Charmy taking advantage to dive out the room and head for the front door. The other two heard his greeting from the front room,

"All right, bang on time; come on in, come on in – did you, oh you did, how much this time?"

"A full tenner's worth; that should keep their sweet teeth happy for a while never mind your comic fixation".

"Hey, it is not a fixation, just an, ah, exaggerated interest, okay?"

"Right", Tails must have conceded to the extravagant bluff as he changed tack accordingly, "where's Vector; got his four A's awaiting". Knuckles glanced over as the crocodile set his paper down and called,

"Bring them in here Tails please; Charmy, get the kettle on, this calls for a victory brew".

"On it"; simultaneously, the kettle clicked on and the door to the front room opened, framing the Mobian who walked in and deposited the batteries with a clump on the table.

"Nice one TT, pleasure as always. Keep the change" Vector added as he slipped the fox a twenty; Tails goggled,

"What's with the generosity all of a sudden? You were tighter than Rouge's suit last time, what's changed?" The crocodile saw Knuckles rise up slowly out the corner of his eye and cleared his throat carefully,

"Well, the new job's payin' well, so I can afford to be generous to my friends".

"Oh right", Tails cheerfully pocketed the cash, blissfully unaware of his stealthily approaching doom as he continued, "I shall look forwards to coming here again". Of course, the sudden growl in his ear took him completely out the blue, sending him a foot in the air and almost careening into the crocodile's lap as Knuckles made his presence felt,

"Mention my wife's clothing too often and there'll be a permanent place for you here, under the floorboards", the echidna bored into the startled fox's face with a steely eye before relenting a faction, "besides, her jumpsuit now's nothing compared to some of the things she had to wear on missions". As Knuckles recollected wistfully, Tails managed to stop his heart from hammering into overdrive and finally managed to gasp,

"Knuckles", he panted as shock ate into his system, "don't do that!"

"Why not, you just insulted the woman of my dreams".

"Take it up with Sonic, that's one of his sayings; I've just heard it so often it stuck with me", the pilot tried to defend himself as Knuckles masked a smile by raising his glove to his lip; _yeah, that sounds too familiar to be anything else – ooh, what would he pay me to keep that secret from Rouge?_ As the guardian turned bribery over in his mind, Tails turned to Vector and asked,

"Mighty around?"

"Nah, she's actually out with Rouge", the crocodile chuckled as Tails flicked his eyes to the heavens and sighed in relief, "just as well they've gone or you'd be flying your plane home with your feet".

"My feet if I was lucky; Rouge'd marmalise me for that one" Tails consciously rubbed his elbows before something grabbed Vector's attention and he tapped the side of his jaw with a set of fingers,

"What you after Mighty for? You on a schedule?"

"Oh no, I can go whenever she's ready", Tails informed him before exposing an envelope, still held flat and creaseless as he finished; "she's got a delivery is all".

_That's unusual_; though Mighty had told them she still kept in contact with some of her family, she normally did so over the phone; this was the first letter they'd sent that Vector knew of. Still, it wasn't his business so he just shrugged,

"She'll be back soon and she'll want to go pretty much from there. Any idea who it's from?"

"Oh yeah, he left a note", Tails handed the paper to the crocodile, Vector holding it up as a now curious Knuckles moved around the back of his chair to read over the reptile's shoulder. After a couple of seconds, both looked up even more curious than they had been a few seconds ago,

"I didn't think Big and Mighty knew each other?"

"They weren't supposed to", Tails laughed as he recalled the phone conversation he'd had with his brother informing him of the whereabouts of his absentee, "she tried to hike to Mystic Ruins and took a wrong turn, ended up in the swamp and a bad way before Big showed up. She crashed at his for the night and I picked her up first thing next morning, that's why she was a day late for you lot".

"I wondered why that was; she never told us" Vector joined in the laughter before nodding at the envelope, "so what's in there?"

"No idea, haven't looked"; that was true, though Tails didn't divulge the struggle he'd had keeping his hands to himself through the flight here, the envelope propped up in the seat next to him, somehow inviting and mocking both at the same time, daring him to open the forbidden treasure. Knuckles quickly scanned Big's note again and made a few deductions,

"Well it can't be dangerous and I doubt it's anything important; look here, he says get out of Dodge, can't be too sensitive if he's joking about it can he?"

"I, ah, I guess not" Tails agreed casually, trying to disguise his itchy fingers as all three Mobians had their eyes drawn magnetically to the stuck down top of the sealed envelope. Vector spoke next, his eyes nearly dreamy,

"There's no actual addressee", he pointed at the blank face of the envelope, "anyone can open a blank envelope, just to check who it's for".

"Yeah, Big might have changed his mind, it could be for anyone"; Knuckles had fallen under the spell of mischief, grinning as his desperation to know what was in there bloomed into a vehement thirst, "we need to make sure".

In the silence that followed, Tails felt not two, but three pairs of eyes settle on him, Charmy stood in the doorway, mugs forgotten as his eyes remained fixed on the heathen promise of the unknown. With such expectation, what was a fox to do – slowly, trying hard to keep his expression idly curious, Tails carefully fitted his pinkie through the gap in the envelope flap and, with a breath, began to slit it open.

XXX

With bags ready and shopping done, bat and armadillo headed for the Chaotix's base, Mighty in particular picking up the pace as she realised Tails would probably be waiting for her by the time they got back. As they drew nearer, Rouge set one of her carriers on the floor and wipes a trickle of sweat from her brow before it could itch too much,

"Whew, looking forwards to a decent tea when we get there".

"Tell me about it", Mighty agreed before pausing, the bat's words touching on a subject she, and the rest of the Chaotix for that matter, had a deep interest in, "speaking of getting there; any ideas yet?" Rouge was more than smart enough to figure out what the armadillo was driving at and her ears flattened, shaking her head in disappointment at the lack of results,

"No, nothing yet; Lara and Wyn are as mystified as we are. Knuckles keeps trying to corner Locke, he reckons one of the Brotherhoods' got something to do with it, but daddy-in-law's slipperier than a greased eel".

"I agree; you never see him around, even in Haven; I doubt I've ever seen him more than once, and I bet that was only because Spectre made him show up".

"Got the full tour of Haven then?"

"Oh yeah, all of it", a reluctant smile spread across the armadillo's face as certain moments of that little trip stood out more than others, "including the infamous training room and a P.E class with Athair". Mighty shuddered as Rouge laughed,

"Ah, he's not that bad; mad as a hatter and then some, but he always means well".

"Tell my shell that; he must have thought I was some kind of travelling musical instrument and kept trying to fine-tune me – took me ages to realise what was making the funny tapping noise; him with a drumstick just behind me". That was enough to crack Rouge up properly; she was still sniggering as Mighty delved into a pocket for her front door key and sighed, stalling opening for a second, eyes serious again,

"Rouge, you know why I'm going down there right?"

"Yeah", the bat's humour drained away; she'd heard why Mighty wanted to visit Sonic again and that the reason wasn't pleasant, "if you're asking if you're doing the right thing, I can only say yes; you have to know what Metal's capable of and he's the only one who can give you the full story. Not even Knuckles knows it all; you really have to have been there to remember everything".

"But I can imagine most of those memories aren't good", Mighty twisted to see Rouge directly, "he's going to have to rake up a lot of the past; can I do that to him as a friend?"

"You don't have a choice Michelle; if you don't the questions will drive you to distraction", Rouge shrugged her shoulders, "catch 22 isn't it".

"Yeah, and Tails is here now, can't just drop him like this can I?"

"Ah sure you could; he's young, he'd bounce". Mighty chuckled as the key slid into the lock and she turned it,

"Not if I dropped him he wouldn't"; there was a click and the door swung to; from the first glimpse of the scene before them, feminine instinct clicked into place and both women knew something was up.

Cautiously stepping over the threshold, Rouge glared at Vector suspiciously as the crocodile was trying very visibly to suppress a smirk,

"Hello Vector", her tone was cool enough to freeze the air, "everything okay?"

"Oh yeah, sweet as a nut", the crocodile's voice just confirmed their suspicions; it was far too high and heaving with suppressed mirth to be entirely innocent, "he's in the lounge; your bags are packed Mi, Mightehehehe!" With that, he hastily turned his back and raced up the stairs, one hand squeezing his jaws shut as he fought to keep some semblance of coherency. Both returned shoppers swapped an understandably confused glance as a door upstairs slammed shut and muffled laughter was heard filtering down the stairwell.

"What was that all about?" Rouge wondered out loud, though Mighty, curiosity piqued and a little on guard as she realised he'd been laughing at her, took more direct action,

"Let's find out shall we?" With that, she stormed down the hallway and swung open the lounge door.

_Crikey it's contagious_; they were all like he'd been, no-one seemed able to look directly at her, either focussing entirely on their comics or taking a sudden interest in the goings-on of the garden out the window. Mighty looked at each of them, taking a cool, detached interest in the way they all seemed to wilt under her scrutiny, lips folding and eyes narrowing as they each tried not to break down laughing under her stern gaze. She heard Rouge enter behind her and took a deep breath, her hands planted on her hips as she demanded,

"Right, what was the joke?" There was a long silence; for a second the armadillo was afraid she'd had to get the info the hard way before Tails slowly stood up, virtually shaking from head to toe from what looked like an ambivalent mix of fear and amusement,

"Sorry Mighty, they made me do it".

"Liar" Knuckles and Charmy both defended themselves as the fox slowly pointed to an opened envelope on the side; Mighty jerked a thumb at herself and Tail nodded, turning his back, shoulders shaking as he covered his snout with both hands, snickers audibly trying to escape the confinement he'd placed them under. Rouge watched on, a bit baffled by this as Mighty slowly picked up the opened mail and slid something out, staring at it in open-mouthed shock as she saw it clearly; for a second Rouge was afraid she'd rip it up but no, with slow, terrible deliberation her friend lowered her arms and with the same force that all three male Mobians were using to not crack up laughing, she spoke softly,

"Well, that's another reason to head down now"; Rouge decided words would be a bad thing here so merely raised an eyebrow, "I've got my own question to answer, and unlike Knuckles", she favoured the guardian with a deadly eye beam his stifled hysteria blinded him to; "I intend to find out the answer". She smiled with poisonous sweetness as she ever so slowly extended the slip of paper to the bat; as Rouge took it and scanned it, her own eyes widening in disbelief, Mighty's voice rose to a roar of promise,

"I'm gonna see how many ways there are to skin a cat!"

XXX

Rouge's first look delivered a kiss of shock; it was the second that let what she was seeing sink in and really send her the same way it had sent everyone else; she immediately clapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself bursting out laughing as this rib-tickler seared into her. Even as she saw this and tried to contain her reaction, she caught a glimpse of Mighty's furious, bright red face and shuddered; _Big, wherever you are you better start running_.

She rolled her eyes down again, letting them meet the expression of stupefied shock the cat had so expertly transferred on the armadillo's face in this sketch. The cartoon Mighty had her hands extended over her head, looking like she was gripping onto something and hanging on like grim death even as she looked forwards, eyes wide as saucers and mouth open in an expression of helpless gormlessness, as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing. This already unflattering scene wasn't helped by the water that appeared to be cascading down her body and especially not by the weeds that clung to her, starting to peel off and make her look even more bedraggled as the caption above just put the icing on the cake:

_Mystic Ruins or Bust (or Drowned, or Eaten, or…)_

XXX

"Stop laughing or I'll rip your tongue out and use it for a skipping rope" Mighty repeated for what felt like the hundredth time, trying to spare her already very apparent blushes as everyone else averted their eyes, huge grins trying not to be mocking but at the same time unable to be anything else. Suitably chastised, Vector tried to assume a more serious pose, which of course fell apart the second she looked away. With a growl, Mighty returned to her biscuits, crunching them up and swallowing with venom as she pictured a hundred and one ways to earn revenge on that impudent, downright cheeky purple fleabag. So caught up in her plotting was she that when Tails gave a small but nevertheless important cough, she had to be tapped on the arm by Knuckles to register it,

"Mighty, I'm, ah, I'm looking to leave fairly soon".

"Right with you; I'll let you lot break down without the fear of violent retribution", she glared at everyone else present, grateful only that Espio wasn't there as his sarcasm would really have pushed her to the absolute limit, "at least not until I get back".

"Have a good trip Mighty; I'm sure you'll be fine", Vector managed to say with a straight face; Charmy though, seemed like he couldn't help himself,

"Yeah, at least if the Tornado crashes we know you can swim to shore"; the bee rocketed to the ceiling as Mighty lunged for him, eyes aflame with the desire to wreak bloody devastation; only a combination of Tails and the two guardians was enough to grudgingly drag her back,

"I'll get you when I get back", the armadillo promised, pointing at the giggling bee with the finger of impaling death, "you wait; I'll pull your wings off and chuck you over the side of this island, then we'll see who can swim or not!"

"Okay, just don't do that now", Tails tried to soothe as he tried to guide her to the door, "we'll get you to Mystic Ruins first, then you can think of how you're going to go about getting even".

XXX

Sonic heard the buzz in his pocket and knew he had to get ready; luckily Amy was only working three days a week at the Quick Stop, so she was free and on hand to give him guidance as to what he had to do. The text from his younger brother had been vague, but he thought he had a rough idea of what the armadillo was after and he wasn't looking forwards to it one bit. The hedgehog flicked his eyes up to the clock, seeing he had about ten minutes to go and realised with a sigh and a shudder that he couldn't put this off any longer. Reaching across, he gently put his hand on top of his girlfriend's frantically scribbling paws, softly stopping its motions and speaking fatalistically as Amy looked up with curiosity,

"Ames, we got to move if we want to be there on time".

"Really?" The pink hedgehog looked up and checked her kitchen clock, eyes widening a little as she saw the display; she gave a weary smile as she clicked her pen away, "time flies when you're having fun huh?"

"Don't worry, it'll all be worth it in the end", the blue hero smiled as she arranged the papers scattered all over the work surface into those she'd filled out, those she was currently having a go at and those she had yet to tackle; as always, the pile of yet to do seemed much too large in his eyes,

"It better be; I swear I've done enough work to earn a degree just to apply for the course", Amy joked as she reached for her bag and tapped his shoulder, "right, that's me ready as I'll ever be". Sonic led her out of the apartment, waiting patiently as she locked the front door behind her and then without warning sprang at him.

"Hey", Sonic had to shuffle his footing to make sure he could catch her properly; it was touch and go for a second but then he had Amy in his arms, giggling at his suddenly stern look, "I will drop you on your head one day".

"Aw Sonic", she looked up innocently, though her mischievous grin didn't much help the illusion, "I knew you'd catch me; you've often said you'd never let me down". The blue hedgehog scowled, causing her to stick her tongue out before he suddenly took off, racing to his own domicile, mind for once way ahead of him as he tried to second-guess what questions Mighty would be most likely to ask.

XXX

Tails pulled the car up expertly, an inch from the curb and spoke as Mighty made to pop open the passenger door,

"Do you want me to…?"

"No Tails, thanks, but this is between me and the Smurf". The fox waved his hand and spoke again,

"Wait, let me finish; I was going to ask did you want me to wait here; I can probably fly you back today if you want". Mighty raised her eyebrows, considering for a second before shaking her head,

"No, thanks for the offer though; I've got…some other things to do while I'm down here", it might have been coincidence, but Tails almost thought he saw fire in her eyes as she said that; before he could confirm it though she spoke again and it was hidden, "besides, they gave me the weekend off; might as well make the most of it right?"

"Yeah", he shook himself; _she's got a sweet nature – she's not going to do anything_; "never thought of that; okay, if you're sure I'll drop you off here, cool?"

"Fine, thanks for the lift again Tails". The kit smiled and accepted her peck on the cheek as she exited the Tornado, waving as he pulled off. Mighty watched him go, desperate for any excuse to put this off, but as the last trace of the exhaust disappeared around the corner, she had to square up to the reality; _I'm here now, and I need answers – like Rouge said, this is a catch 22_. Silently asking for Sonic's forgiveness even before she began, the armadillo slowly trudged towards the hedgehog's front door and squared up to it, flexed her hand for a second and then, with great reluctance, pressed the doorbell. For a fleeting second she believed she'd got away with it; he wasn't in, but no, she heard movement and her heart fell as, with a click, the lock was undone from the inside and the door swung open.

"Hi Mighty", his tone, though attempting to be light hearted, there was no disguising the seriousness, so alien to his normal manner, that permeated his tone, "come on in". Giving a weak smile and mumbled thanks, the armadillo slipped past the wide open door, hearing with the dull crump as Sonic closed it behind her; as much as she tried not to, she couldn't stop that noise reminding her of a trapdoor shutting, locking her into a grim scenario with no hope of release.

XXX

Her unasked question was answered by and equally silent reply; Amy was here to help explain the situation Sonic must surely had known was about to kick off. Mighty took a seat without being asked, pulling her seat in close, mind numb as she tried to think of a way to put this delicately. Seeing neither her boyfriend or his old friend making a move and realising that getting the ball rolling was the hardest part of anything like this, Amy made a brave stab at breaking the ice,

"So Mighty", she looked up at her name, seeing the strain in Amy's smile but persevering all the same, "how'd you like Angel Island?"

"It's a cool place and, you never know, I reckon I could really get used to it after a while", the first words were out, it was a downward rush that even someone as strong as Mighty was powerless to halt, "I'm going to get plenty of practise; I'm a full time Chaotix now, you know".

"I heard", Sonic's melancholy voice cut across hers, not angry or demanding and somehow all the more powerful because of that; his mournful eyes locked onto hers and he asked a question he needed to hear with his own ears, "but what really happened Mighty; I don't know it all".

"Espio and I were shopping, then something on his wrist beeped", the rush took over again, words spilling from her lips faster and with more force as the avalanche gathered pace, "then he grabbed me, said lives were in danger; we needed to get home. We ran there, then he hit a hidden button on the wall, showed this teleporting platform; I had to run down a corridor and hit anything that wasn't Charmy or Vector", there was no smile or chuckle as she quoted the chameleon's words; in her mind she could see his façade of calm beginning to crumble with fear she hadn't been able to understand at the time, "so I did; when I arrived, I was in the Shrine of the Master Emerald; Charmy and Vector were there as well. They were fighting", Sonic felt his eyes flutter shut; for one ludicrous second he thought that somehow Mighty would be able to change the story, make it so one of the deadliest foes he'd ever come across had not been resurrected, but it was not to be. Mighty looked up, the only thing in her eyes stronger than her sorrow her determination, to touch the bottom of this swamp as she spoke again,

"They were fighting a robot. A robot that looked a lot like you Sonic, in fact it was nearly identical. They even said it was named after you", he nodded, so lifeless a gesture she almost thought he'd fainted until his head rose a fraction, enough to here her last, needing question, "what is it Sonic – what the hell is Metal Sonic?"

XXX

He was silent for a few seconds, looking into space as though zoning out, detaching himself from his body and the pain of the memories he was forced to impart by her questions,

"I've been fighting for a long time Mighty; I went up against Eggman years ago and fought with him at every turn. Over the years, I kind of developed a grudging respect for the man – after all, you have to admire his persistence, he never quit however many times we beat him. I don't know for sure, but I think Metal Sonic is his respect for me – imitation's the sincerest form of flattery after all". His smile was genuine, but it was dark and dangerous, the hedgehog stepping onto forbidding ground as he shuddered and spoke again,

"Metal Sonic was built by Eggman and used against both me and pretty much everyone else who got in his way. He is, as far as I can tell, one of the most advanced if not the most advanced piece of hardware on the planet today – he's a soulless killer and he'll use anyone and anything to make sure he achieves his goal, usually to attack one of us or steal something valuable. At first he was set against me, and Knuckles as well, to try and destroy us and steal the M.E. but things changed since then".

"Not really, he's still after it as far as I can tell". Mighty reflected on her introduction to the assassin droid, though Sonic shook his head,

"No, nothing about him changed, just he learnt to go his own way", the armadillo cocked her head as Sonic shook his, "he's gone rogue from Eggman; he does his own thing, he even took him prisoner at one stage. He's hell-bent on doing whatever it takes to crush anyone he thinks of as his enemy, yours truly being right at the head of the hit list". Sonic gave an ugly, mirthless laugh as Amy cut in, her voice quavering from fright even as she tried to keep it steady,

"He's taken me hostage before now Mighty, just to get to Sonic", the two women looked across the table at each other, each reading the truth from the other even as only Amy spoke, "he's evil; he just doesn't care about anything but himself and his goals, forget anyone else".

"He really is that bad huh?" Mighty didn't need a spoken answer, the glances were enough; _still, not like I haven't given him something to chew over_; "but he's not invulnerable; I cracked him once, he's not going to take something like that again".

"He underestimated you", Sonic's sudden warning burst her bubble of contentment, his tone hard, sharp but most distressingly of all concerned as he looked at her piercingly, "he did the same thing to Knuckles when he fought him for the Master Emerald; that's possibly the only reason red's alive today, he'll admit it freely. He'll only do it once, you got lucky; Mighty, listen to me", Sonic half-stood, leaning across the table towards her, reaching for her hand as his words suddenly burned, lifeless no longer, "I know what you can do, but please, you can't try to do anything against him alone; if he shows up, and I mean anywhere, even if he's on the horizon and going the other way, you run and you find help. I've danced with him too often, seen what he can do…" the hedgehog broke off, shivering violently, teeth bared and gritted as he relived the pale memories of his battles and pains at the hands of his robotic duplicate; Mighty had to bit back a yelp of shock as he lunged, taking her hand in his and pulling her towards him, "promise me, you won't go it alone on this one".

For a second she was set to refuse; friend he might be, but who was Sonic to dictate how she was to live her life? The reaction though was momentary; his face defeated any bravado, any hollow boast, simply through the pain etched upon it, the worry and concern for her sake. She darted her eyes to Amy, no support there – the pink hedgehog looked as unwavering as her partner, lowering her eyes as she recalled suffering at the robot's hands. Swallowing, aware o the burden even her strength couldn't bear, the armadillo gave a shallow, virtually imperceptible nod,

"Okay Sonic", she half-stood, not breaking her gaze, "you've got my promise on this".

Magically the tension evaporated; Sonic slumped back in his seat as though the world had been lifted from his shoulder, exhausted but happy that he had the desired result.

"Thanks Mighty", he sighed breathlessly, gratitude pouring from him as he spoke to her once more, "that means more than you know".

"I guessed", the armadillo stood, needing to be away from here now; she had planned to stay a little longer, but not now, not with the atmosphere still as fraught as this; she needed to give the air some time to clear, "I'm, ah, I'm gonna head off now; don't worry, I've got plans ahead of me. I'll see you again before I have to get back though".

"Not giving up the day job huh?" Amy managed a quip before nodding; neither she nor Sonic made a move to stop Mighty leaving, maybe both heeding the need for a little time alone, recuperation from the awful knowledge. The armadillo headed for the door, opened it, said her thanks once more and departed, the door shutting softly behind her as she took a breath; _Knowledge is power, but sometimes, oh sometimes, that power corrupts – Jesus Sonic, how much have you been through I don't know about?_

XXX

Her hand was on the front door handle when,

"He was right".

"Aaah!" Mighty span around, guard up and heart hammering even as she recognised the voice, "Shadow you nearly gave me a heart attack! What?"

"Sonic", the black hedgehog replied tonelessly, pointing at the still closed kitchen door, voice low and muttering, "he was right to make you make that promise".

"How much did you hear?" Mighty felt her suspicions rise again; Shadow might have sensed this as he suddenly raised a hand,

"Just enough, but everything I heard was right; Metal is nothing less than pure hatred in a can – all he lives for is destroying anything that stands in the way of whatever he wants to do". The armadillo let her fists fall to her sides, cocking her head curiously,

"You've had run-ins with this guy as well?" _Well, it had to come to this sooner or later_; Shadow nodded, then slowly, his crimson eyes half-closed, slowly brought up two fingers and tapped his left temple,

"He was the one who did…this to me".

Mighty went cold; she had heard from Amy that Shadow suffered from amnesia, but had never asked; _how could I not have asked?_; how such an affliction had struck him. Fires of retribution stoked up in her valiant heart; how dare that scrap yard refugee steal the memories of a living being, but the memory of the promise she had just made quenched it, cooling it; after all, if Metal could do that to Shadow with his speed, she didn't fancy too much for her chances one-on-one; Sonic had been right after all.

"Shadow", she could feel nothing to even remotely compare to the ebon hedgehog's loss, but still she tried, "I'm sorry, I…"

"What's past is past; I try to look forwards when I can", he gave a weary smile before suddenly straightening, seemingly infused by new purpose, "and speaking of plans, what are you up to now?"

"Well I was just…" she suddenly stopped, looking at the black hedgehog anew and wetting her lips, a fresh idea germinating in her fertile mind, "…actually, you might help me here, if you don't mind of course?"

"No, I'm not doing anything now", Shadow affirmed before becoming more curious, "what's the plan?"

"Well, I need to…"

XXX

With a barely audible whir and slight plop, the float landed right where'd planned to cast it, bobbing merrily in the middle of the lake before settling down. Satisfied, Big took his repose on a nearby bank, attaining comfort again as he settled down to see if anything was biting. It hadn't been a bad haul all things considering, though the pike he'd landed had come as something of a nasty shock; blasted thing hand nearly nipped one of his meaty hands before he'd managed to unhook it and throw it back; all bones and no meat on a pike. He was really after eels, and a couple had surfaced, though they were little bootlaces in comparison to a few weeks ago. _Still, such is life_; Big contemplated as he watched the float, alone in its sea of water;_ it'd be boring if we got what we wanted every time_. Minutes ticked by uncounted; the weather was good, the fish were there for the catching and the mosquitoes seemed to be on diets – for the purple fisherMobian, life was perfect. Until,

"BIG!" The shout that broke across the swamp like a thunderclap was so loud and sudden he dropped his rod, cowering as though an angry god had bellowed at him, "get your miserable excuse for a tail out here this INSTANT!"

_Oooooh, she's not happy_; Big shuddered as he pictured a raging deity throwing fireballs and lightning to purge the earth; somehow he could see Mighty in a white toga aiming a streak of lighting right at him from the wrathful heavens. Still, probably better not to put this off and, he had a plan; _if all else fails, run like hell!_

A/N: How mean should I be to Big do you think? How long should his hospital stay be? Will he survive and what will be left of him if he does?


	15. Chapter 15 Reprisals and Realisations

Chapter 15 – Reprisals and Realisations.

A/N: Okay, it's tail-kicking time, but first:

DH – Don't talk to me about computers misbehaving; if it weren't for the fact they don't do internet I'd still be using a typewriter! Anyway, read on for further fics about the 'almost-couple' :-).

HHH – Owwie, I sprained my ankle once, that hurt badly, but hey, you're getting out of most PE, go for it!

RGN – So the dingo's kind of like what happened with Europe and the wolf (except we've now mostly wiped it out because we're stupid and intolerant of its bad image); wow, interesting. Just another point though: how many time zones are there between your part of Australia and the UK; e.g. if it's twelve noon here, what time would it be to you?

GTP/Ri2 – Yep, Big's for it now; hope you understand why what happens below pans out the way it does (I'll explain next chapter if it's not clear).

TH – I'm continuing, I'm continuing – geez, what a slave-driver!

It would have made an extraordinary scene had anyone been close enough to see; having bid Shadow farewell and waited for a couple of torturous minutes to be sure he was out of earshot, Mighty was now seemingly engaged in a deafening and seemingly one-sided shouting match with the swamp in front of her.

"Don't make me come in there", the armadillo roared, shaking her considerable fists towards the tree line as though challenging a spectral foe, "when I get hold of you I'm going to turn your tattered fur into a throw rug!" She recaptured her breath, feeling the blood singing in her ears as she strained her ears, waiting for an answer she was almost certain she wouldn't get; if Big had any sort of sense he'd be halfway to the hills by now but for some reason, Mighty didn't think he'd bolt. _He sent me that picture_; she scowled and her cheeks went pink as she recalled with crystal clarity that sketch and, more impertinently, the reactions it had generated to the detriment of her pride; _because he must have thought I'd react like this, and I am. I'm walking right into his hands…and I don't mind?_

She paused for a second, running that novel through in her mind as she analysed her reaction to that realisation; no, it was perfectly true, she didn't have any objections to what she was doing now – in fact, she was rather looking forwards to it, but why was that? Her brow furrowed for a second, some serious soul-searching commencing as the armadillo sifted the reasons she thought she had. Yes, he had absolutely mortified her in front of her friends and her boss, though fortunately the two went hand in hand as she got on well with both guardians, and she was anticipating her revenge with baited breath, but that wasn't quite enough to explain why she was trying to make like the Big Bad Wolf and blow Big's home away by dint of volume. It took a little while, but eventually she made a connection and a slow, searing smile crept over her face; she fought it every step of the way but, just like Big had the first time she'd had the misfortune to almost literally splash down on him, it beat her by logic and the plain, simple truth; _I'm having fun_.

Mighty snorted, almost chuckling now as those three simple words broke into her thoughts; she tried to put herself in the shoes of a neutral third party – here was a fiery looking Mobian armadillo, shouting herself hoarse as she level curse after curse at something above average size? It must have looked ludicrous, but so what? Who was out here to see her act like this – she could do whatever she liked and no-one would be any the wiser. _That's why he's out here_; she snapped her fingers as she understood at last, answering her own question as Big must have known she eventually would; _he can do what the hell he wants, when he wants and no-one's going to tell him otherwise – brilliant_. She had to raise her respect for him a notch; living in a swamp in the middle of nowhere seemed a lunatic's idea at first, but the more you thought about it, the better a plan it was…;_ hold it, what's that?_

A sudden sound echoed out from the heart of the swamp, a serene answer to her hot-tempered challenge; Mighty smiled wolfishly as the low, almost dirge-like chant filtered through the trees, not in a language she recognised but somehow more compelling because of that.

"Right, that's it", she was only grateful the cat couldn't see her grinning face as she began storming towards the swamp, using her ears to home in on the source of the ballad, "you're making me come in here Big; I'm going to hunt you down, beat you to death and use whatever's left of you as fish food". There was a sudden break in the singing; she paused fractionally, afraid she'd driven him underground before,

"Well, fair's fair; I've been eating them for years so I suppose I should give something back". Mighty bit back a laugh as the chant resumed its former pitch; he'd got her again, she couldn't fence verbally the way Sonic or Rouge could, and though Big didn't look as advanced as either of those two, the minnow was king if it was up against a tadpole. She didn't deigned to reply, merely shaking her head and ploughing on, bulldozing her way through the clinging marsh towards her target, a strategy in place as the voice grew louder and the time of their reunion neared.

XXX

Big had used what little time he had well, packing away at the same time as try and form some semblance of a plan as to what he was going to do next when the vengeful armadillo caught up with him. He remembered her physique very well indeed and had very little desire to be on the receiving end of it, so his thinking had been remarkably quick and he had something. It wasn't much of a something and relied far too much on luck to be anything like watertight, but as he saw the bushes close by rustle and cut off his tune; _after all, I don't want to have to go and find her again – I'd like to see here, but I really need all the home turf advantage I can get_; he stood tall as there was a sudden crack and whip of dislodged branches, then Mighty appeared across from him, stepping slowly into full view, face grim and impassive as she looked him up and down, him reciprocating with a lot more speculation as he really didn't need to be thought of as improper right about now. Slowly, not taking her eyes from him, she slid her travel bag off her shoulders and let it fall to the dry ground she was stood upon,

"Hello Big".

XXX

It was a furious, all-out war; Mighty's face muscles were virtually in spasm as she had to clamp down on every single neurone she had to ensure she wasn't about to break down into giggles, straining to keep her face straight at the look of nervous greeting and abject terror on the purple cat's face,

"Ah, hi Mighty, umm, good to see you".

"Oh I couldn't agree more", she allowed herself a smile, venting a smidgen of the mirth she felt as she took one pace forwards, rubbing her knuckles as he fell back several steps; _nowhere to run Big, unless you want wet feet_; "I've been looking forwards to this all day".

"Really", she had to admit he had bottle; despite the virtually tangible menace in her words he even managed a slightly sarcastic smile, "nice of you to say that; don't often get many guests".

"I wouldn't say I was a guest, more of an executioner", the fight was getting harder ever second; it felt like someone had dumped a barrel load of feathers down the back of her shell and resisting these internal ticklers was driving her around the bend, "now about that picture you oh so kindly drew for me, or should I say of me?" He must have been playing for time as he scratched his temple; she almost went in swinging until he brightened at the very last second,

"Oh that one; yes I remember it well", he looked at her anew, beaming like a sunrise, further undermining her righteous anger with the sheer disbelief at his next words, "did you like it?"

"Not as much as my friends did", she growled back through gritted teeth, though she couldn't stop the very corners of her lips creeping upwards; _gotta do this now or I'm gonna break down_; she raised her fists, "so you took my pride, now I'm gonna take it back in blood!"

"Hey now; no need for that", Big raised his hands, staving off his… "if you want it autographed I'll use a pen, I'm not into that sort of thing". Her mouth fell open and a panted laugh escaped her; _he's too cheeky for his own good – all right you, coming ready or not!_

XXX

Even as he watched Mighty get ready for her charge, Big realised she was fighting the same battle he was, just not as well. He was on the verge of falling apart laughing like her, but she was just hopeless at hiding it; only the false anger was staving off the inevitable giggling fit he could see plain as day just fighting to get out. As he had simply prayed she would, she was forced to let her anger empower her and charge her forwards, legs hammering the ground like pile drivers as she speeded towards him. Unfortunately, as she did so, she had no idea she'd been had hook, line and sinker by the same illusion that had caught out so many other people; just because Big was a lot larger than most, that didn't mean he couldn't move when he needed to.

He judged it perfectly; when he pivoted on the ball of his left foot, spinning the vast majority of him out the way of the armadillo's headlong charge, Mighty saw with horror exactly what was behind him and slammed on the brakes. Her determined sprint faltered into a stumble, arms flailing as she fought to kill her speed, the water ahead of her, recently fished by the cat, blinking and flashing warningly as she suddenly saw with horrible certainty that there was no way she'd stop in time. She braced for the sudden icy kiss of the water, the chill it would bring as she hurtled towards the embankment, her last desperate grab at Big thwarted as the cat moved again, spinning behind her as she lunged for him with one last snatch. _Hold your nose girl, were gonna get…saved?_ There was a sudden constriction around her neck, something grabbing the back of her top and arresting her sudden fall; she stayed still, battling for balance as a suddenly sly voice purred in her ear,

"Now Mighty", she let out an involuntary squeak as she suddenly dropped a little lower; _boy that water looks chilly_; "what's it worth I don't let go?"

XXX

_Phew_; for a second he'd been afraid he'd missed the target and Mighty had slipped through his fingers, but luckily he'd snagged a finger full of her collar and just had enough time to quickly take a firmer grip, suspending her precariously over the crystal clear water. Looking down into the reflection, he met her eyes and saw her jaw drop just before her face hardened and she tried to struggle back to dry land without getting wet. He had every honourable motive of letting her do just that, but not without a little payment first,

"Now Mighty", her face went from furious to frightened as he dropped his arm a touch, swaying her closer to the water surface, "what's it worth I don't let go?" For a second she was still, then, still keeping his eyes on her reflected face, he heard her growl an answer,

"If you so much as threaten", her body convulsed once, as did her face; Big raised an eyebrow as she continued, "to drop me, I'll…" she couldn't seem to continue; her face was folding in on itself with barely contained mirth – somehow Mighty was finding this whole thing funny, just like he suddenly found himself doing as well, a chuckle building up inside him as he watched her furious gesticulations, miming all sorts of terrible things with her hands before spluttering, "…pain, lots of pain, you get ihihit!"

Big had planned to be nice, he really had good intentions at heart, but the sight of the armadillo trying not to give into the furious laughter welling up inside her somehow broke his own barriers down completely; the little devil of mischief deep inside him rose up full force, taking over and somehow disguising itself as proper manners as, after a second, he relented; he heard Mighty's sigh of relief as he slowly, inch by deliberate inch, pulled her clear from her vulnerable position.

"Mighty, I'm surprised at you", the cat had to be grateful she couldn't see his face, "I would never drop anyone in anything, anyone would tell you that". There was a gruff chuckle as the armadillo caught her breath again,

"You dropped me in something Big; ask any of the Chaahaheeyyy!"

Mighty was about to turn around when suddenly she felt herself seized by a couple of pincers around her waist. The shock was a killer; before she could really start struggling she'd been hoisted up with Big's gleeful proclamation swirling the air about her,

"I wouldn't drop you in", she felt herself drawn back as though she was in a catapult, still too stunned by this turn of events to even think about what was going on; icy dread flushed her system as he finished, "not when it's much more fun to throw you!" The words hadn't quite registered when she felt the cat's hands quiver; with the force of a bow Big whipped both his arms, and therefore his prisoner, forwards; Mighty had a split-second view of how a bird sees the world before suddenly finding her voice with a scream of shock; she had just enough time to hold her breath before impacting in the water like a cannon ball, sending spray everywhere and her need for revenge suddenly into overdrive.

XXX

_I was in trouble before_: the triumphant cat folded up on the back, hands on his thighs as he tried not to laugh at the implications of what he'd just done; _she'll have a price on my head after this_. He looked out over the water in time to see her erupt back, lifting her torso from the water like some great aquatic colossus from ancient times, hurling fresh spray in her wake as she sank back down, the water just above her chin as she overcame the water's sudden coldness and her now properly blazing eyes settled on the form of the suddenly innocent looking cat.

"You git!" She extended one hand, trembling with rage as she unleashed a barrage of vitriolic words at the architect of her discomfort, "you absolute, utter swine; look at me now!"

"The view's much improved; I can only see your face".

"You die"; Mighty set one foot in front of the other, her raging snarl the only emotion stronger than her somehow still intact mirth; for some reason she was still playing along with Big's insane game. She began to drag herself forwards, ignoring the clinging weeds with no effort before Big suddenly bent down, retrieving his fishing rod and slowly extending it to her,

"Grab on, I'll pull you in"; _Bingo_; either he'd forgotten who he was dealing with or was so high in his euphoric victory that he didn't care, but as Mighty grabbed the branch, she suddenly set her feet in the mud of the lake and called back,

"Nah, better idea", she gave a great heave and exulted, "I'll pull you instead!"

XXX

The force of the tug ripped the rod out of Big's hands involuntarily, but even so it had done enough to pull his centre of gravity too far. For a second the cat tottered on the bank, arms wind-milling madly as he fought to keep his balance and stay out of the cold water, before with a yell he went forwards, splashing down in the shallows in a perfect face plant, unable to even dive properly due to his lost balance. Eyes delighted, Mighty surged forwards and grabbed the scruff of the cat's neck, hauling on the purple fur to drag Big into deeper water at the same time as shriek,

"Come on in, the water's lovely!" Big rose up enough to snatch a quick breath before the armadillo plunged both her hands down, waited a second and then wrenched back up,

"That was for the picture…" She dunked him again, trying to speak coherently at the same time as finally let her laughter go, almost doubled over as she forced herself to haul the bedraggled cat to the surface again and continue his well-earned punishment

"…this is for making me fall out the tree fist time…" Down he went again, struggling to keep his head above water but not able to stand up to Mighty's greater strength and dominant position as she made to raise him again,

"…and what the heck, third time's a charaarrgh!"

Big had been fighting to curl up underwater, keeping his intentions masked as Mighty ducked him continually, but he'd finally managed to get his feet underneath him. _Now to get out of this_; he reached both his arms back and to the side of him; Mighty felt a couple of pythons snake around her thighs before Big reared up, his arms tearing her feet from the lake bottom and lifting her clear out the water, ending up in some kind of side cradle. The armadillo looked down and saw exactly what he was going to do next,

"Don't you…"; the rest of her words were lost in a stream of bubbles as the cat, laughing almost as much as she was, simple toppled backwards, keeping his own face above water at the same time as plunging Mighty under again. Fortunately the impact was enough to jar his grip a touch and the armadillo wormed her way free, fighting to break the surface a little way behind him, recapturing her breath as he swung around to face her, grin stretching almost as wide as her own as she beckoned with two fingers,

"That all you got?"

"Not even started"; he sank lower in the water, his arms flowing out behind him as Mighty did the same, mischief in both of them as simultaneously they sent artificial waves of water forwards to buffet the other, shrieking dire threats and promises as the water war continued, neither side willing to back down first.

Under the midday sun, a pair of Mobians fought painlessly as children would, caring for nothing save the fun they were having and why should they not, for who was around to see them behave like this?

XXX

The sun was sinking in the west as Big finally stood tall, Mighty's latest attack washing into his flattened chest fluff as he called,

"Mighty, we better quit here".

"You coward", the armadillo raised her arms in triumph as her opponent surrendered before her power, "I am the champion".

"Champion of what's probably better left unsaid", he quickly finished before she could retaliate with a couple of gallons fresh from the pond, "anyway, it'll get cold soon, and the midges will be out to play". He pointed at the sun; Mighty spared it a glance and saw with consternation it was already low and going down fast; _much as I enjoyed it, playtime's over_. Both sloshed their way to the bank, leaving eddying wakes behind them as Mighty clambered back onto dry land, running her hands down her front to help the water run from her, speaking as she finally registered just how tired that water fight had actually made her,

"Great, I'm completely knackered, lost again and soaked to the bone", she flinched as a sudden cascade of water landed on her shell, soaking the back of her top again as Big must have shaken himself off, "and that really didn't help". The shaking stopped and she heard the cat heave a sigh,

"I agree"; curiously raising an eyebrow, the armadillo turned to look at her former playmate and somehow her aching lungs managed to find a few more giggles; she pointed at the sudden spikiness of the purple cat's fur and mocked,

"You looked like someone plugged your tail in a mains socket".

"Don't", Big shook his head as he tried to tame his errant fur; _cats hate water - there's a very good reason for it_; when he'd managed to comb out most of the frizz he waited patiently for Mighty to compose herself before speaking, "why'd you pull me in like that?"

"Excuse me?" Mighty's expression was a picture of speechless shock, "why did…why did you throw me in the first place more like, you rotten sod". Big waved a finger,

"Don't say you weren't asking for it" he cautioned, smirking slightly now as Mighty tapped her foot with her hands on her hips, "you came into my swamp and you threatened me; you paid my price". She scowled, though it was still touched by humour as she retaliated,

"Then you better not come to Angel Island any time soon; that's my turf now fleabag – you put a toe on that place and it'll get chopped off, I'll make sure of it".

"I don't doubt it", the cat chuckled back, clearing the mock tension in the air as he pointed at her sodden clothes, "that's twice you've been here, and both times each of us ended up soaked". The vision of raindrops pattering on the cat's head flickered through Mighty's mind as she agreed good-naturedly,

"Yeah, you're right", she stuck out her hand, challenge in her eyes as she offered, "first to three wins?" Big smiled and took her hand, shaking as he sealed the deal,

"You're on, but right now we've got, almost literally, bigger fish to fry"; he pointed at the water still dribbling from her shorts, though to his surprise she smiled,

"Don't worry about that; I came prepared this time", as he watched on, she went back to her rucksack and tapped the side of her nose knowingly, "I brought some spare kit second time around, now", she pointed in a random direction, "lead on; I'm starving and dinner awaits". Big chortled and pointed a long way to the right of Might's indicated direction,

"My place is over there".

"Ah, whatever, I'd have got there eventually".

"Yeah, by me playing catch-up the clown".

"What was that?"

"Er, nothing; come on".

XXX

She sat back, enfolded once more in the cat's blanket and chair, Froggy this time sat contentedly on her lap as she licked a trail of melted juice from her bottom lip, the last of the shells flipped nonchalantly onto the large platter that had held the meal they'd shared.

"Big", the cat looked over, his eyes reflecting yellow the light from his little cooker unit as Mighty snuggled down deeper in the chair she was sat in, content to let her tired body soak up more of this uniquely placid, timeless atmosphere and rejuvenate itself through the contact, "that was absolutely delightful; I can honestly say I've never had a better meal that involved shellfish in my entire life".

"Thanks", the cat grinned at the praise before turning to the side of him, "but who said it was finished?" Mighty mock-groaned and raised a hand, being careful not to dislodge Froggy by the movement; she kind of liked the amphibian being there as a lap warmer,

"No, I can't eat another bite".

"Just as well, because you don't eat these"; the cat reached up, half-standing to pluck a couple of leaves from another of his hanging bushels; looking at it more closely, Mighty saw that the leaves of this plant were still green and fresh – it couldn't have been picked longer ago than yesterday to stay so lush. Taking the leaves from his prize, Big lifted the small bowl he'd placed on the water heater and tested its temperature with a pinkie the size of Mighty's index finger. She saw him nod, satisfied at the heat and watched curiously as he took each individual leaf and rolled it hard between his fingers, the motion crushing the green tissue and forcing out a pearly, thick green liquid, which dropped into the waiting bowl held below. Eight times he repeated the process, not saying a word as his guest watched on, taking in what he was doing at the same time as wonder what the meaning of this ritual was; _maybe it just smells nice? Nah, can't be – he said it was the dessert, if you like, maybe it's his answer to a cup of tea?_

Several ideas collided within the armadillo's head, each conflicting those that had gone before at the same time as providing support for those that followed, before the cat sat back, apparently pleased with his concoction as he swirled it around, peering into it as though it were an augury into the future. With a smile, he handed it towards her, speaking as she reached forwards uncertainly,

"Drink, but don't take too much; don't worry, it's not poisonous or anything like that". Peering down, Mighty saw the water had become obscured by the juice of the leaves, now veins of opaqueness writhed, were sundered and reformed within the gentle heat of the water that surrounded and supported them. _Well, nothing he's done has killed me yet – mortally wounded my pride maybe, but not killed it outright_; with the barest hint of hesitation, the armadillo lifted the small basin to her lips and quaffed a small measure of the beverage her host had provided.

XXX

_Oh I hope I made it strong enough_; despite his calm exterior, Big was a bundle of nerves as he watched Mighty's throat bob once, twice, and then a little bit more before she removed the bowl, smacking her lips with a curious expression on her face, as though she was trying to make a comparison without really knowing what to compare his drink with.

"Tastes a bit like", she held the puzzling look for a few more seconds, making a series of clicking noises with her tongue before her eyes lit up, "yeah, hot crème soda, that what this is like; tastes great". _That's okay then, she liked it_; Big smiled as he took back the offered bowl, draining his own share from the bottom as Mighty carried on,

"I can't figure you out Big", still occupied with his drink, the cat merely raised an eyebrow, prompting her to speak; she smiled and raised her hands, indicating his whole domain, "take a look around; you did all this mostly if not wholly by yourself. You're completely self-sufficient and you're certainly not stupid, but all you do is stay here and fish all day? It just doesn't make sense", she looked down, troubled as she shook her head, "not to me anyway". Compelled to say something, if only to banish the look of nervous apprehension from her face, the cat cleared his throat, setting the dish aside for now,

"Well, you just said I was self-sufficient; I don't need to go anywhere else, so I generally don't".

"But don't you want to?" She appealed to his sense of adventure, face open and honest as she leant forwards, ignoring the croak of protest from the toad in her lap, "come on, Station Square's a couple of hours away, probably less; don't you want to get out this swamp every so often and go and see people?"

"I sometimes do", he refused to get angry, merely explaining the facts as they were, "I just have a look around, and I do go and see old friends occasionally; I just, like it here most of the time".

XXX

She wanted to press, ask more, but for some reason, maybe a realisation that this was his territory, somewhere she had to defer to him as it was his private life, Mighty swallowed his story, speaking maybe a little down-heartedly, but barely enough to be noticeable,

"All right Big; I have to say I can see why you like it here after all", she beamed again and the cat felt his heart lift, "fresh food when you want it, plenty of free time and sweet air by the tonne, it's got advantages this place".

"True on all counts except the food", the cat held up one of his bared hands, a small cut visible on his thumb as he explained wistfully, "sometimes lunch fights back". The armadillo craned forwards, trying to think what fish had a bite like that, unless it came from a single tooth and that was too scary to even consider,

"What was it?" Big looked a little sheepish before pointing at the remnants of their shared meal,

"One of those clams; they've got sharp edges believe it or not". As he'd expected, Mighty laughed and pointed at him, though there was no harshness in her mirth, no mockery directed at him, just genuine humour at the situation,

"So, the great purple hunter thwarted by his prey's canny defence". Matching her smirk, the cat leant back,

"Fortunately I had a can opener handy; anyway, you enjoyed the fruits of my labours, don't laugh at the harvester's injuries".

"But of course o noble provider", she tried to bow whilst sitting down at the same time as try not to crush Froggy to green pulp, "I'm most humbled and honoured to see such well-won battle scars, but don't try to gain any pity points from me", she suddenly added as her hand knocked the secret pocket of Big's chair and she remembered the original reason for her coming here.

The cat looked up as she tried to snarl at him, though in light of what had happened since formulating her first plot for revenge she couldn't hold it with anything like venom.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the meal, the drink, that crazy romp in the pond…"

"The bed for the night?"

"…the bed for the night", she added, not having considered this point until now, "but I'm still angry with you over you-know-what".

"Hey, you asked for a drawing, that image just stuck in my head", he raised his hands to defend himself as she scowled, a light chuckle welling up from the cat's manner as he enquired, "anyway, what's the problem, I sent it in a sealed envelope for you; if you didn't want it you should have just kept it there".

"Much as I'd have liked to, I wasn't the one who opened it", the armadillo shuddered as she remembered being treated to the house of ridicule when she'd walked in after wandering around the shops with Rouge, "in fact, I was the last one of the Chaotix to get a look in; even Knuckles saw it before I did". Big winced,

"Ouch, but you can't blame me for that; someone opened it instead of you, if you're going to shoot anyone shoot the delivery boy".

"Believe me I thought about it", Mighty recalled the struggle she'd had not to knock the blocks off Tails, as well as her housemates and employers, before sighing with a smile, "bet you any money that'll be framed and on the wall by the time I get back". She looked up in time to realise exactly what Big was going to do, and in the next instant she knew for sure she didn't need to hear it after all,

"Save it", she cut off his apology, looking at him directly with a chuckle, "it was a drawing of me after all, so I can't complain too much – at least I didn't have to pose for it".

"You think I'd have even asked?"

"Only if you were feeling suicidally brave".

"My point exactly; I've kind of grown attached to my life, I don't really want to lose it; besides, what'd happen to Froggy if I was no more". The armadillo didn't move as the toad, almost reacting to his name, blinked back to wakefulness and crawled forwards; Mighty scooped him up and placed him gently on the floor; he began to crawl over to his saviour as Mighty answered,

"Don't worry, I'd look after him; besides, if I really wanted you dead you'd have more pressing concerns than his well-being".

"I know, that's what worried me", he offered the bowl, the last few swallows of liquid still simmering within, "hence why I needed to sweeten you up before I tried to apologise; out here, the police can't hear you scream".

"Luckily for you", Mighty licked her lips, settling down in her chair again, all thoughts of violence gone from her head in the fug of a full day of activities, "it worked, but don't bank on it happening again – next time you pull a stunt like that…"

"I can guess", Big reached up once more, pointing at the bowl, "top-up?"

"If you're offering".

XXX

As the cat's snores echoed through the cabin, there was a little movement, though it was sluggish and fighting sleep every step of the way. _I know it's here somewhere_; for once Mighty was grateful for her shell's bulk as her toe found what she was after; squatting down, her hands found the dial on the side and ever so slowly turned it up, ceasing the second a dim orange glow became tangible; _that's enough to see by_. Reaching to the side of her, as soundlessly as she could make her movements, the armadillo reached into the pocket of the chair she'd been resting in and drew out Big's sketch book; she recalled what had happened last time he'd mentioned her art and realised for some reason it was a sore point for him, but at the same time she really wanted to see those priceless drawings once more. Holding the book close to the light, dimming it as much as was possible to avoid rousing the slumbering cat, Mighty flicked through the pages again, transported to each of the scenes involved as every page told, not a story, but a whole life tale. _Jesus Big, you really are something special_; Mighty finally broke eye contact with Amy and absent-mindedly flicked the page over, only to then remember that was the last one, but there was something odd here; there looked like a page missing just after the drawing of Amy.

In her sleepy state, it took Mighty a few seconds to join the dots; that had been where his drawing of her had nestled until recently. Chuckling slightly, she suddenly cut off as a sudden idea struck her. The more she looked at it, the more appealing it became until, having flipped the sketch book around to see where she needed to go, Mighty extinguished the light, bounced back into her chair and slipped the sketch book away; _well, something else to do tomorrow before I get back to the day job_.

A few minutes later, all four of the denizens of Big's swamp were resting once more.

XXX

As he stumped into his store, warned of a customer by the trilling note of the shop bell, Reg was taken a little aback by the sight in front of him. The Mobian had her back to him and, though trying hard not to think ill of a potential client, his first impression was that the kind of canvas she'd be most at home with wasn't the sort he could provide. Luckily, he managed to throw off such prejudices before she turned around from the small but lovingly maintained selection of art notepads she was currently browsing.

"Hello Miss", she span at the words, obviously not hearing him come in from the back as Reg finished, "can I help you at all?"

"Umm", much as Mighty liked to do things on her own, she was out of her depth in a place like this; _art was never my forte_; "yes, I'm ah, I'm looking for a sketch pad".

"Oh aye", the elderly human came forwards a little more, peering at the pieces she'd been looking at, sizing them up before turning to her, "let's see your hands first; if I know the sort of pencil size you'll be using I…"

"Oh no", Mighty smiled self-consciously as she tried to correct his assumption gently, "it's not for me, it's for a, well, he's a friend".

"I see"; _didn't think she looked like the type_; Reg casually noted the armadillo's slightly reddened cheeks as she looked away at saying that, "what does this friend of yours draw?"

"Pretty much anything, but very well; he's actually got a pad from here, maybe you know him?" Reg raised an eyebrow, cycling through a list of potentials as Mighty elaborated, "he's a large purple Mobian cat, goes by the name…"

"Big?" That one had been right at the bottom of the heap; the name exploded from the older man with more force than he'd meant it to, causing Mighty to jump back startled. As she recollected herself, so did the owner of the art house,

"Sorry Miss, bit of a shock that", he explained quickly before moving on to the meat of her last announcement, "yes, I do know Big, pretty well as a matter of fact; you do as well?"

"He's a friend, like I said", Mighty replied, pointing at the sketch pads again, indicating a particular one as she thought that was what the original looked like, "I think this is the one I'm after".

"That'd be it, if it's for Big"; Reg led her back to the till, running the price on the old fashioned keys with well practised skill, just reaching for a bag before,

"You know Big well, you said?" He glanced up to see the Mobian looking pensive,

"Fairly, much as anyone can; he comes in to see me every now and then if he needs supplied, like a pad" Reg smiled, placing the article she'd just purchased into the carrier before her next words stopped him again,

"Can you tell me anything about him?"

He turned to face her squarely, looking her dead in the eye as he tried to gauge what she'd meant by that,

"That depends; what did you want to know?"

"Pretty much anything", Mighty saw his potential font of information and thirsted for it vehemently, "I don't know much about him despite my best efforts; he's a bit, you know, shy on the details; can you help?"

"Maybe", Reg looked her up and down again, still feeling for what she was really after with his larger friend as she fired away,

"Well for a start has he been in here long, or known you long should I say?"

"Aye, fairly, I knew him when he was a little un, about eight or nine he started coming in regularly".

"He was always arty then?" Mighty laughed, though when she saw the store owner's face darken, she choked it off, wondering what it meant before he answered her,

"Not at first", Reg looked back with his memory, the first introduction to the scared, crying kitten that had thrown itself through the door of his shop and begged for help, to make them stop and go away; it still hurt even now, "I got him into it as a way to..."

"To…?" Mighty prompted, seeing the turmoil on the human's face and now more concerned that ever; she had to know what was causing this and she looked like she might succeed as Reg relented,

"…to let him forget what the bullies did".

_Bullies_; the words stirred up vile memories within Mighty; she'd had her own share of scraps in the past and it wasn't something she'd have wished on anyone else, least of all someone as placid and easy going as Big. Her fists unconsciously balled up and her face hardened, voice harsh as she grated,

"He was bullied?"

"Yes, he, didn't have a good school life, but please", he raised a hand as though trying to fend off the remaining questions, "don't ask me more about that; I'll say nothing else about it – I know Big wants to forget about that episode in his life and I tried to help".

"How?" _Mum got me into sports to get rid of them_; the armadillo tripped back in time to how she had avoided the coward's depredations; _did Big find succour in art?_

"I let him draw here, and paint as well; how well would you say you know Big?"

The question was direct and challenging, their eyes locking and not dropping their gaze as Mighty tried to convey what she knew was inside in a manner that would sound reasonable to this almost paternal guardian,

"I, I've spent nights at his home", she stuttered unsteadily, trying to make that sound better when she realised she'd said it, "he's helped me find my way though his swamp before, and I've seen the sketches he's drawn. He's even drawn one of me, it's at home". Inspiration lit up her mind at that; Big had drawn her; that had to count for something. Reg fixed his eyes on her again; she had the unsettling sensation of being scanned with an X-ray before he gave a single, shallow nod and turned to head back to his desk.

"I believe that; come here a sec Miss…"

"Mighty, just call me Mighty".

"Very apt", the owner said dryly as he leaned under his counter, placing a thin folder on the top of the desk and his hand atop it, protectively, "well Mighty, listen well; in here is Big's portfolio, every painting he's ever done in this store is here. It's not in me to lie – he's one of the brightest talents I've ever seen, and I've been in the business near enough all my life, but he won't show it. He could be a millionaire at the stroke of a brush, but he prefers to stay where he is, as he is and I don't know why. I'm showing you this on one proviso only; that what's in here is never talked about and never discussed or explained to anyone else; this isn't mine to show, it's his. Do you understand?"

"Yes"; the words was out before she realised she'd said it, her eyes resolutely fixed on the leather bound folder as slowly, as though each centimetre was a personal battle between his head and his heart, Reg pushed the folder her way, muttering that he had some work to do in the back and he'd leave her be a while.

XXX

_You old fool_; he berated himself as soon as he was out of her sight; _Big trusted you to keep that secret and now look what you've done – but this girl, could she not help him come to terms with…whatever happened to him?_ He was torn it two for an eternity of guilt mixed with reassurance that he was helping his friend, when there was sound from the front of his store that made his blood run cold. It sounded like a strangled scream, gargling through a stifling hand; he moved like he hadn't moved in years, back out the front and next to Mighty in seconds,

"Are you alright?"; _of course not – look at her face, and her skin's like ice_; slowly, as if letting him take in the full horror of her suddenly bloodless, stunned face, the armadillo turned to face him and said four, strangled, whispered words,

"I've seen that picture".

She was pointing at the photo Reg had taken mere weeks ago; the older man looked down to assure himself before speaking,

"The End of the Hunt? You sure?"

"Yes, I know it".

"He took that one, but he never said who…hey, where are you…?" He made to grab her arm as Mighty suddenly took off, running away from his as something overcame her shock and lent her feet wings; she crashed out the front of the store, just pausing to shout,

"To find out why he wasn't there" over her shoulder, before carrying on, running to Mystic Ruins as Amy had run, a burning need within her, questions that drove out all other thoughts and, unfortunately, danger senses as well. Had her rush not been so headlong, Mighty may have caught a glimpse of her shadow as he followed her, concealed behind the cloak he had unjustly liberated from its former owner.

XXX

Never had the train crawled as it did then, so slowly passing between Station Square and the Mystic Ruins; Mighty couldn't sit still, always in motion as she tried a thousand theories as to why Big hadn't unveiled his masterpiece to those who it belonged to; why had he sent it anonymously? Try as she might, she could see no reason save one; that for some reason, he was afraid, mortally afraid, of the art he created, or the reactions it might give; _but why? Who in their right mind would bad-mouth something so perfect?_ She needed answers and, as finally her purgatory of a journey ended, she had a chance to find her answers; she forced the doors open and sprinted free, out into the open air and towards Mystic Ruins.

All the way there, her mind was concentrated solely on her objective, nothing else registered; not the warmth and brightness of the sun, not the grass beneath her, nor the sound of screaming jet boosters as the tore up the air behind her.

A/N: So, Big did paint the End of the Hunt, but why did he miss the grand unveiling, and who's after Mighty? Answers next chapter!


	16. Chapter 16 Stronger than Flesh

Chapter 16 – Stronger than Flesh.

A/N: I ask only forgiveness for the actions of this chapter.

HHH – The flu now as well; man you're going through the mill. But never fear; just cuddle up with sweet Soulio and she'll help you get you through it!

DH – The End of the Hunt is two things; a chapter in this story and the painting of Knuckles and Rouge's wedding (mentioned in the chapter). As shown in the previous chapter, Big painted it. Don't worry about Uni; just done my three years, I know how much it bends your mind.

RGN – Glad for the info about Australia; if there's anything you wanted to know about good ol' Blighty, let me know.

Ri2 – And now, the consequences.

TH – Aww, don't cry; here, a brand new chapter for you to enjoy.

Her shell maybe didn't save her life, but it certainly spared her mobility; Mighty was sent flying forwards, knocked clean off her feet as something smashed into the back of her like a tonne of bricks. Adrenaline and instincts took over as she flew, curling into a ball, fighting to stop the shock paralysing her priceless reaction time; she hit the deck and rolled upright, senses keening for any threat to show itself, heart hammering as the surprise of the attack wore off slightly. There was a sound, above her; she lifted her face in one instant and threw herself backwards in the next, just saving her eyes as the robotic talons stabbed down, aiming to blind her forever. By reflex she lashed out, feeling the wild punch land a glancing blow but still enough to send Mecha spinning away, fractionally disorientated as his internal gyros sought to recover his balance at the same time Mighty found her feet again, drawing herself up tall and raising her arms in a classic guard.

"Well";_ Christ, I need time to think_; she was out in the open with no chance of being heard – Mecha had timed his ambush to perfection and had not underestimated the resilience of her shell, he'd have crippled her with that single strike. She let none of this show on her face, hiding her fear and apprehension deep as she desperately groped for a plan, "if it isn't the world's fanciest tin opener? What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"Your destruction".

XXX

Mecha looked down from his elevated position, sizing up his task as he re-evaluated the hardiness of the armadillo's back plates – that attack would have snapped the spine of pretty much any other Mobian like a toothpick. Taking a second to consider, rotating with her to keep her locked in his bifocal vision at all times, the robot sneered,

"I made an error the first time we clashed; I never repeat errors".

"Really", Mighty circled still, her nervously cautious mind still reckoning she needed to land a clean hit to rattle this mechanical menace before she began to put her real, and only feasible, plan into action, "that's not what Sonic told me".

"Do not mention the hedgehog's name"; _that hit a nerve – I can anger him, but not now, he wants to talk and I need all the head-start I can get_; the armadillo bit down on her tongue, wanting to antagonise her opponent to try and allow him to get careless even as Sonic's warning rang in her ears and she let it dictate her actions. Mecha's optical circuits send more power into his eyes, making them glow unholy crimson as Mighty nodded once, still slowly turning, heading the way she needed to go, still desperate to get in the direction she needed to go,

"Don't call me shelly you've got a deal; how'd you get here, and who beat the dents out your iron hide after last time?"

Her reply was primarily a sound of hope; it sounded to her like Metal's synthetic voice box was malfunctioning, giving only garbled white noise rather than audible speech, until she recognised the repetition and steady pitch of the noise. Her blood ran as ice; _he's got me out in the open, alone, right where he wants me, and he knows it_; and he certainly did; flexing his lethal claws again, the robotic hedgehog ceased his chuckling and his thrusters dimmed, allowing his feet to touch the ground and him to take a pace forwards; Mighty took several backwards, hoping he'd mistake the gesture for fear rather than the first, faltering steps on a journey she could only pray she'd complete in one piece.

"You really believe I am unable to track a vehicle of the Tornado's metallic mass and density?" Though it was artificial, scorn was dripping from his speech, Mighty continuing to back up as she tried to commit his words to memory, "I scanned you and that mutant fox entering that pitiful excuse for a fighting jet and tracked you to Station Square; you met the hedgehog", his voice automatically hardened; she imagined that if such a thing had been possible for him, he'd have spat just by mentioning the fact he shared species with Sonic, "and then went native into the swamp for the rest of the day".

"So why didn't you jump me then?" It was as much idle curiosity as to save her shell that she asked, all the time in motion as her mind whirred through the gears, "you could have attacked in the night, I would have been asleep; surely you're not that afraid of me?"

"I am incapable of feeling fear; it was one of the first emotions I deleted from my system", his voice was a gloat, as though he were proud of mutilating his own ability to feel, something unique given to him by his warped creator, "no, I required merely a recharge to ensure my full combat effectiveness for when I knew you'd be back", Mighty tensed in readiness, some sixth sense chiming to tell her this was the end of his talking, time for action, fighting and general running like a mad thing, "you have to enter the Mystic Ruins, use the mutant's technology to ensure your return to Angel Island; that is a flight I have no intention of letting you even begin!"

Jets roaring, Metal powered forwards; Mighty span desperately to one side, seeking to interpose her shell between her softer front and the robot's razor sharp fingers. She heard rather than felt them scrape clear, slicing through the back of her top like it was flimsy silk, but right now modesty wasn't an issue. Reflexes firing and fists cocked, the armadillo raced after her foe, gaining a little more ground, each step getting her nearer her salvation. Her left hand swiped forwards, ignoring the spikes that jutted aggressively from Metal's back she sought to land the first punch of what was sure to be a last man standing slugfest. However, the robot was too quick; with a digital command, Metal roared upwards, powering his jets to their maximum thrust levels and shooting out of range of the punch; Mighty snapped her arms back, the stink of singed hair lodged in her nose as the residual heat from the ascending droid scorched the fur on her arm. Spinning to track his movement, the armadillo realised what his tactic was; due to his virtually effortless aerial manoeuvrability and huge speed advantage, he was going to force her into the world's most lethal game of chicken, and she had no choice but to play.

She hurled herself back and to the side as Metal curled in mid-air, going from robot to knife-edged saw blade in a heartbeat, his momentum sending him flying forwards like one of Espio's throwing stars. Having missed her, though she'd felt the air adjacent to her skim past, disturbed by his velocity so it couldn't have been by too much, Metal ploughed a furrow through the dewed grass before spinning to his feet once more, half-crouched and glaring into her eyes, trying to psyche her out even as she felt the first few flickerings of doubt. _I can't read him_; the armadillo felt her lips curl inwards, tension rising within her in a way she couldn't easily hope to counter; _there's no way I can second-guess him – he's calling all the shots here_. She shook her head at the same time as keep her eyes steady; she needed to go forwards, and if that meant she had to go through Metal Sonic to do it, then that was just an added bonus. Raising her guard, Mighty changed the tempo, upping her speed as she tried to bull right past her implacable foe.

XXX

Her first shock had been Mecha's primary attack; her second came mere moments later.

It had been only a minor thing; one tiny slip that allowed her to see that she truly was in a fight for her life. Mecha's continual sweeping fly-by slashes were tiring her as she twisted, ducked and weaved as best she could, all the time trying to stick to the route she needed to go by if she was to have any realistic chance at all. As the blue streak powered into the air, Mighty took a second to flick the sweat from her brow, breathing heavily as she tried to pick which way she'd go next; twice shed' been forced to the floor and twice Mecha had so nearly capitalised on that fact; now as her muscles finally began to register the strain of the continual moving, that option was rapidly dwindling in attractiveness – it'd only take one sweep of his blades to hamstring her completely. There was no choice; she had to do something completely unexpected, try and wrest the advantage from him and, as Mecha's airborne from banked sharply, there was only one thing she could possibly think of.

XXX

_The target remains stationary_; Metal computed the data his sensors were detecting, his logic core predicting the next most probable movement his prey would undertake. Thus far, his strategy was in place; the armadillo was strong, but she was nowhere near as swift as he had been designed to be, and he was a walking arsenal of weaponry, all she had were her fists; _and when this primary phase is completed, even those will not be sufficient_.

It was not within his programming to respect anything, least of all a weaker biological being, but Metal did had a sense of self-preservation; that sense had often been the only factor standing between continued operational effectiveness and termination. Where an inferior model would have fought until destruction, Mecha was capable of retreat, planning his next moves, analysing his foes and determining where to strike in their next meetings. That inherent sense of preservation was operating within him now, dictating his strategy; despite the female echidna's promises that his new armour was capable of withstanding stresses greater than even Mighty's punches were capable of generating, there was still a percentage chance of the armour failing. Therefore, logic stated that the safest and most effective course of action was to wear his stubborn opponent down, tire her to the point where his advantage in speed would be insurmountable and she would be vulnerable. So Metal continued, swerving around on a proverbial sixpence and going into a screaming dive, claws extended as he expected to catch his opponent once more, add a little to the speckles of blood that dotted the very tips of his claws already, where he'd found a tiny purchase on the back of the armadillo's shoulder, a scratch she probably never felt. _Every wound saps endurance, speeds the process of exhaustion_; with this logical programme in command, Metal shot in, forgetting in his logical assurance that, like most biological beings, Mighty didn't always behave as logic dictated she would. Her sudden slip disrupted his strategy programmes; there should have been no reason for her to fall onto her back and his internal processor sought to understand why she would. That split-second pause, where his weapons remained stationary and unused, was costly; the impact on his underneath jarred him and knocked him from his pre-arranged flight pattern.

Impact prevention measures kicked in instantly but were unable to prevent the collision occurring; the thrust from his boosters carried him onwards, his dive shallowing but still he crashed into the floor, raising a furrow of mud as his momentum was killed off. Quick as though he flipped over, pushing upright with all haste until a proximity chime sounded, warning of a second imminent impact; at the speed of light he had plotted the next course and thrown himself upwards, thus ensuring that rather than taking the colossal hit on his optics, his newly upgraded chest armour underwent its first field test.

The shock of the armadillo's punch reverberated throughout his armoured hull; as he span upwards, lifted there by the sheer force of the attack, he ran an internal damage assessment, expecting damage on a comparable scale to the first time he had felt Mighty let fly. The assessment completed its internal scan and reported back to his CPU; for a second he hovered in the air in something akin to shock, rerunning the programme to be sure there were no errors in its operation. _Interesting_; sadistic glee made his artificial optics light up once more, cruel and cold as he regarded the look of horrified shock on his now insignificant opponent; _the logical attack patter has now shifted._

XXX

As soon as she saw his flight come to a halt and not noticed any disfigurement to his armour, Mighty knew the situation had just gone from bad to outright terrible. As he hung there, seemingly immobile, she took advantage, powering forwards and under him, forcing him to turn around to follow her, buying more precious time before being forced to spin around once more, face her opponent as his maniacal laughter sounded once more. _Need time_; the armadillo sucked in several deep, quick breaths, trying to hyperventilate her bloodstream as she saw Metal's jet flame dim again, sinking him to the floor as he casually inspected his seemingly unblemished bodywork; _got it, maybe I can…_

"So, it seems I have the advantage", Metal answered her thought before she could even voice it, taking advantage of his plentiful time in which to gloat once more, "my upgrades are able to compensate for your greater strength".

"Upgrades?" She play-acted, trying to look as though she didn't understand, coerce his seemingly colossal vanity into explaining to her what he meant; _maybe if I know what's stopping me, I can get around it_; "who in their right mind would upgrade you?"

"No-one", dark amusement registered in this emotional programming for a second before Metal indulged his next victim, taking a pace forwards every time she fell back; _a typical reaction to fear – I was right to delete such weakness from my system_; "I am not sure if Enerjak has a mind"; _confuse and strike_; "do you believe he has? Do I possess a mind as you do?"

It was an old trick, but like most of the old tricks it still worked; just as Vector had, Mighty couldn't help but give the question some consideration, distracting her for a mere fraction of a second, nowhere near long enough for a mortal opponent to advantage of. But Metal was no mere mortal, certainly not his own mind; the roar of his jets was the only warning she had – she threw herself around, trusting to her shell for defence but this time Mecha was prepared fro the ploy. Rather than barrelling in directly, the robot spread his arms wide, snapping them closed in a fearsome hug, circumventing the formidable bulwark of the natural armour and at the same time putting his claws to their gruesome task. Mighty gasped in pain as Mecha turned his hands inwards around her middle, his fearsome fingers gouging the vulnerable skin there and out of instinct she clapped her hands over his, her great strength just managing to arrest his progress before he could rend her flesh completely. _Christ_; shock rendered her immobile for a second, the sight of crimson seeping over the android's digits, discolouring the stainless steel there with her own blood; disbelief drowned out the pain; _Jesus this is real, and this is happening – he's doing this to me!_

With the revelation came wrath, hot as hell's furnace; with a roar, Mighty ripped the talons from her wounds, spreading her arms wide and throwing herself backwards, knocking Metal off-balance, throwing an elbow behind her, driving it into the robotic muzzle, snarling as she felt pain again, Metal's quicksilver daggers lashing out and scouring a wound just above her eyes, stinging and sore even as she pushed him away, sending him reeling backwards, lack of breath preventing her following up even as she made an observation that gave her, if nothing else, some hope,

"So", she raised one hand, breathing harsh and ragged as she claimed her first small victory, "that upgrade doesn't shield everywhere". Slowly and deliberately, Metal used a single digit of his to inspect the dent she'd made with her elbow; the sight of her own blood being smeared across the blue paint was almost enough to bring down the red mist but she somehow checked it; _easy – lose you temper against this thing and next it'll be your life_.

"So it would seem", his tone never changed, even as he pointed back and spoke again, "but it would also seem, however great my weakness, that your flesh is weaker by far than mine", Mighty didn't drop her arms or eyes, even as the agonising sting of the wounds Metal had inflicted began to creep up her torso, burning her nerve endings as she felt thin streams trickle through the fur on her abdomen. She didn't deign to answer, concentrating on her objective, using the hope of rescue to dull the pain like a strong sedative as Metal leered forwards, taking off once more as his logic sensors again ran and submitted their recently appraised form of attack,

"The flesh is weak", the blue droid intoned, his optical sensors just making out the very vague blur of a wooded area in the distance from his elevated position even as his memory banks reminded him of a piece of dogma the echidna with the claw arm had spouted, "the Dark Legion seek to replace it with something stronger and more durable, become one with the machine. They have a foolish errand; biological beings are weak, technology does not require their presence; I am the functioning proof, surely even you can see that now – I am the master, you are the worm to be crushed at my whim".

"Maybe, Metal Sonic", his eyes blazed, a dangerous growl humming from his voice as Mighty snarled, "but you were made by a biological being; without Eggman, you'd be nothing".

"Once maybe, but now Eggman is gone, forgotten; he is now nothing, and I have outgrown him".

"Really? Well if that's the case, why are you still fighting to prove yourself better than Sonic?"

"Because", Metal decided her retreat had gone on long enough; he didn't need to explain his core directive to her any more than this, "when I fulfil my core directive, I will finally be free; I will prove to the world that my technology is superior to any biological organism. The hedgehog, will meet his downfall by my hand, but you will precede him Mighty Armadillo; a warning to those who stand in my path!"

XXX

The deadly game wore on, Mighty couldn't tell how long for; her world seemed to contract into the incessant drone of Mecha's engines, the continual dodging and spinning away from his death-dealing dives and, most terrifying of all, the short periods where he flew straight in, engaging in a hand to hand fight that was vicious in the extreme, cruel claws opening more wounds in her arms and front until her skin was laced with fine yet painful cuts, blood leaking from them and gradually helping to wear her resistance down. But still she would not, could never yield without a decent fight; some of her blows had landed; the robot had tried to deflect the punishing strikes to land on his seemingly impervious chest but he couldn't writhe away from every one; the armadillo had permitted herself a snarl of satisfaction as she'd landed a full punch on the back of one of his hands, the force twisting and buckling the deadly claws there even as they sliced into her already bruised knuckles, reducing the effectiveness of the lethal weapons to the extent where Metal was mostly striking with his right hand, granting her a small advantage in that she could try to block him with both hands if the chance presented itself. At this stage, however, she'd stopped looking for chances; at least ninety percent of her efforts were focussed on the scene in front of her when she could spare them a glance.

The ear-piercing shriek swelled in her ears again and the armadillo knew this time she couldn't dodge; his strategy was paying off. If she tried to carry on like this, eventually she'd slip, or her edge of speed would go and he'd hit with a vicious attack she probably wouldn't stand up from. _This is it_; she steeled herself, flicking the blood from her eyes once more as the wound above them threatened to blind her, slippery as it was with the sweat that rolled down her forehead now; _head to head_. She had to take one to get one, and she had to make it count more than any of her other strikes had done yet. She looked up to see Metal bearing down on her, arms not to the side but forwards this time, reading her intention and mimicking them, he wasn't backing down either. The two players locked eyes, pitiless red against jadestone green; neither moved or flickered as the distance between them was eaten up by Mecha's furious jet turbines. It was only at the last second, when collision seemed all but inevitable, that both combatants made their final moves.

XXX

Metal saw her tense but not even his advanced tracking systems could accurately predict her direction; he had no choice but to trust to luck. Swerving hard to the right, he realised with disgust that he had made the incorrect choice; the armadillo had jumped the other way, avoiding his spearing rush. Still he struck, and great was his dark joy as he felt his rewards, the increased drag on his striking hand ensuring that he'd made contact, scraping Mighty's ribcage even as her fist thundered into his pivoting waist joint, spinning him away again though his boosters altered his trajectory to compensate accordingly. Righting himself the robot looked down to see the damage he had done; _not crippling, but certainly debilitating enough for a start_. Still, his task had only now begun and, though injured, he had to admit that the armadillo possessed incredible endurance; despite the blood flowing freely from her side, Mighty was still able to run, for now.

XXX

His three digits had felt like white-hot knives, carving into the muscles and scraping the bones on the left hand side of her ribcage, the pain making her nearly physically sick; all that allowed her to land her answering punch was the fact that, if she didn't, she was as good as dead. She didn't pause to see the effect, the reverberating pain up from her fist had been enough to know it was a clean hit, and now she had to take the only chance she had left. Clutching her streaming wounds with one hand, the white of her glove beginning to stain red even as she ran, the armadillo raced forwards, heart slamming against her ribs and lungs heaving horribly, fighting the pain that greyed her vision as the movement aggravated the wounds on her side, both old and especially new. Over the dull tolling of her heartbeat, she heard with dread the whine of mechanical motors and knew this was it; she would either be saved, or she would fall here. Spinning around, raising her arms even as pain screamed up her left side, the armadillo let out a bellow of challenge that bounced away into the distance.

XXX

_Mighty!_; there was no way he'd miss that voice – Big flexed his ears again, not wanting to believe the armadillo had made such a noise of rage, fear and pain. Shock rooted him to the spot, the fishing rod dangling limply in his hands as he stood slowly, hands suddenly cold and clammy within his gloves. The purple cat breathed harshly, lips trembling, completely unsure of what to do in the light of this situation, something he'd never encountered in all his life. _Oh God_; his knees trembled as the call came again, this time more urgent, desperate for an answer, needing someone to come to her, as though…;_ she's in danger, serious danger!_

One instant he was there, stood by his favourite fishing spot, eyes on his lure as he sought to tempt something into biting; the next he was gone, vaulting over low bushes and tree trunks as panic leant him speed, cutting the line from his rod as though it was nothing. In his element, the swamp that had been his home for most of his life, Big ran to the source of the agonised cry, desperate and willing to do anything, even; _yes, if the situation called for it_; he reassured himself; to save someone he considered a friend, he'd break the immutable law he'd set himself, and maybe damn his perfect life forever.

XXX

_Strange_; Metal's internal processors again found the armadillo acting completely illogically; though she must have computed that she was in no further condition to run, there was no reason to make a last, vainglorious stand here, where he held all the cards; _there is also no reason thus far for the amount of noise she is making_. He darted in again, lunging but being forced to fall back quickly as her fists blurred the air; analysing her face once more, the robot made a calculating judgement; _she knows she can not win now_.

A wolf, or for that matter a stag, is most dangerous when it turns at bay; it has no other option but to fight and so gives its heart and soul to the battle, snapping and snarling until death claimed it in its final battle. As with wolves and stags, so, it seemed, with armadillos; Mighty was on her last legs and fading, but still she fought with cunning and courage, her battered, bleeding body still dangerous, a fact she proved when one of her feints managed to trick Mecha's danger sensors and force him to react, spinning right out the way of the dummy attack and landing right in the path of the real strike, unable to move and deflect the punch onto his chest as her foot caught him behind the knee, buckling it, dropping his shoulder and bringing his head down to her level. Had he not twisted his head to the side, his optics would have sustained serious damage; even more so had the punch not been a shadow of its former self, Mighty's wounds dulling her power. Even so, he had been left as close to disorientated as was possible for his sensors; his radar had taken most of the brunt of impact and had gone for now, as had control to the lasers of his left side, though his internal repair mechanisms were sending constant reports of progress in that repair effort. Of the two of them, though, Mecha was by far in the better condition, his honeycombed armour withstanding the worst Mighty could have thrown at it, and with a final calculation, he knew it was time to prove that fact beyond doubt.

XXX

Inexplicably the robot dropped his guard; reflexes kicked in before Mighty could stop them and she pistoned her tired, aching arm forward, ignoring the fresh trickles of blood such a movement generated as the slashes on her left side opened again, grinning like bloodied lips as they were peeled apart once more. Sweat was streaming all over her body and her vision was blurred, tears from the pain and exhaustion involuntarily leaking into her eyes, blunting her normally sharp vision. Her punch landed an even as it did, Mighty saw her unloving opponent's eyes glare and s spear of dread impaled her; somehow, she'd walked right into some kind of trap.

Metal did not go flying backwards this time; he took the force of the punch, taking the shock damage to his internal systems in order to attain a much stronger position. Mighty felt her wrist seized in a grip of steel, she tried to tug backwards but Mecha followed; there was a terrible blow falling on her upper arm, a white supernova of pain blooming from the impact t, making her cry out, wrench away once more even as a second impact deadened the limb completely. Metal followed up, not needing logic to understand what his next plan must be, raining brutal punches to the already injured portion of his opponent's arm, concentrating his efforts, ignoring her repeated punches and tugs for freedom even as several of his minor systems, including self-repair, where jarred offline by the impacts. That didn't matter, there could be only one victor in this battle of attrition.

Something had to give, and as a low snap echoed across the battleground, it seemed that Metal had made an error in his earlier statement, for he had seemingly proven that steel was stronger than both flesh and bone.

XXX

The agonised scream stopped Big dead, horror welling up from the depths of his being as a dagger of ice was plunged up to the hilt in his very heart. Only once before in his life had he heard such a sound, such raw out-letting of torment; the memory, still present, lent him still more speed, more energy as he ploughed through the swamp, noise and concealment no longer viable as he raced to the source of the despair. _Ironic, but strangely logical_; the cat wiped tears from his eyes, not even pausing for a second to do so as speed was all; _once I made someone scream like that, now I should save someone else from such pain. And I will, I have to save her – hang on Mighty!_

XXX

The sound had stopped her, disbelief smashing the last of her waning desire to fight from her as she registered her arm had broken. Metal dropped his grip, jumping away as his audio sensors also took in this fact and logically computed that he had won this battle, a fact he confirmed when, like a dam bursting from being hit with a tsunami, Mighty threw back her head and howled, agony sheeting up her arm from the grievous injury and burning directly into her brain. For a second, she existed in pain and in pain alone; there was nothing else she could focus on save her own suffering; the shock and trauma so great that everything else, even her own survival instincts, were stilled – the fact Metal Sonic was still operational was forgotten as she vented the pain in the only way she could. Falling to one knee, clapping a hand over her sundered bone despite the new explosion of aching pain the action caused, she looked down, sniffling as delayed tears sprang from her eyes, screwing up her face as gradually, oh so grudgingly and gradually, the pain receded and she was once more herself, able to think a little even if the only train of though she could catch was a depressing, deadly one, laden with defeat and despair; _I'm not walking away from this one_.

Mighty was beaten; she couldn't fight any more, not like this. Her arm was gone and anything like an impact on the damaged tissue would mean an instant black out. She was tired beyond even her endurance, everything hurt in at least one dimension; as though stimulated by her arm, every tiny slash and scratch Metal had inflicted on her began to throb in rhythmic harmony with her torturous pulse. Misery beckoned, the fact that her discovery would likely die with her, she'd never get to triumphantly confide to Big she knew what he truly was, or to tell Knuckles and Rouge the secret behind their miraculous painting, gnawed at her continually; it was only the fact she kept her eyes still on her opponent's face that kept her head from dropping in final confirmation of her lost battle,

"You are disabled", Metal pointed out unnecessarily, indicating her arm as proof of the fact, "I am victorious". Her tongue felt heavy; it was an effort to form the words even as she attempted defiance to the last,

"Figured that out did you?", Her sneering smile devolved into a grimace as she tried to push herself to her feet, stand against him one last time. To her surprise, he didn't charge in and finish it, merely watching on as she swayed to her feet, again pivoting to see her in his vision again as he answered,

"Yes, I am aware of your incapacitation", there was another outbreak of the spine-chilling, mechanical growling that passed for his laughter, "you are helpless, and there is nothing you can do to stop me".

"No, there's not", somehow saying that made the realisation less foreboding; she'd given it her best shot, and it hadn't been enough, "so, go ahead and let's finish this".

"You think you will die?" Metal shook his head even as Mighty's eyes widened; _he's not going to…so what was all this about. Some kind of ego trip for him?_ "No, the Dark Legion has dictated a more lingering fate for you".

"The Legion", Mighty pointed at him with a finger even as she kept her hand pressed to her broken arm, "so Knuckles was right, you are working for them".

"No, I was restored by them", Metal corrected her, his memory banks replaying the sequence of events that led to this, "they wanted my emotional programming, for all the good it would do them, but I refused, and escaped. I work for no-one save my own directives".

"So", she had to ask, "why are you letting me go like this?"

"Go; I never said I was", Metal flexed his claws again and Mighty was for once grateful he couldn't show emotions; she doubted very much a psychotic smile was the last emotion she wanted to see, "the Legion crippled me; I can not kill, my programming will not allow it – that is the only reason your reptile friend was spared. I should have slain him like a blind puppy, but their treachery prevented me from doing so".

"Now there's a turn up for the books", Mighty managed a grating laugh, "an assassin who can't kill; so what's the big plan now? Leave me here, ask me politely to snuff it – I bet even if I was about to die you'd have to take me to hospital".

"My simulations have shown that is the case; I must preserve life at all costs", the hedgehog droid growled before suddenly his eyes lit again, "but my experimentation showed the flaw in the thinking of the Dark Legion; there are fates worse than death", he favoured her with a full view of his claws again, the blood there still damp as he reran those experiments, the maiming of innocent creatures to see the limits of his programming, how far he could rebel against his new restraints, "you do not have to kill someone to remove them as a threat; permanent disability is acceptable and, I may add, seemingly more satisfying as well. You may scream for death, but I can not grant it; take solace that, whatever may happen, you will not die".

Metal stepped forwards, relishing the look of abject horror and almost physical sickness on the face of his foe as he raised his claws to begin the irreversible maiming of the armadillo, a warning to those who would stand against him and prevent him fulfilling the core directive. Though most of his emotions were gone, he could still feel a measure of satisfaction that he had overcome this stubborn organic threat and could now remove her permanently from his path. She backed up as he'd expected her to, her eyes nearly wild with fear for herself until, yes there it was, she had accepted her fate; she stopped going backwards, her face relaxing as if understanding that embracing the pain would make it pass faster.

"I won't die you say", the armadillo somehow managed to smile, and there was relief there; with his radar inactive, Metal was forced to use other senses to detect any suspicious circumstances and, as a consequence, failed to realise the anomalous readings from his skin, absorbed by Mighty's words as she nodded, "I know that, because you might have to deal with him first". _Wait_; Metal suddenly accepted the errant data from his sensors;_ the ground is vibrating slightly, but this region is tectonically stable_; he span around to see the source of the vibrations just as Big completed his swing.

XXX

The heavier handle of the rod slammed into Metal Sonic's faceplate, knocking a dent into it that twinned the one made by Mighty's elbow. Preservation programmes kicked in and Metal's boosters activated, throwing him up and out the way of the mad cat's charge, already computing the next strategy in the face of this unknown adversary.

Big powered forwards, feeling the heat on his face as the robot roared upwards and to the side, not that it mattered; Metal was gone for the moment and he was alone to see what had become of the girl he had only this morning bidden farewell to. He had known from her cries earlier, running desperately with fear in his heart, that the sight would not be pretty, but this was worse, worse than worse, of his most foul expectations.

XXX

Before her terrified eyes, Mighty watched as her saviour stood rooted to the spot, unable to even look at her; _what have I done?_ She finally let her head drop as guilt washed through her – how could she have been so blind to think Big would have a chance here? He wasn't a fighter, battle wasn't where he belonged and she had had no right to drag him into this bloodbath against an unstoppable, pitiless machine. She wept then, not for herself, but for him; through no fault of his own he was in grave danger and she knew he'd not back down, it wasn't in him to back down, abandon someone in need even when it was hopeless to try and help them. _Because of me, he's going to get himself hurt, maybe even killed – oh Big, please just run, leave me here_. But he either wouldn't or couldn't; still he refused to move, seeming to swell with misery, groaning in pain for her as though unable to contemplate what he was seeing, how anything could inflict such torment on a living creature. And, as blue death flickered behind him, streaking in over the ground like a living missile at his back, Mighty knew her foe would not allow him the time to recover his scattered wits,

"Big", she had to try and warn him, shouting even if her throat was raw and hoarse, "look out!"

XXX

_The threat here is minimal – he has great weight but his physical strength is nothing compared to the armadillo's_; Mecha scanned the immobile cat, recognising him from his previous threat files as Big, a known associate of the hedgehog and, more importantly, one who had played a role in his previous downfall. This was something of an unexpected bonus; consciously or not, Mighty had led him to another potential target for revenge; if he'd had the face to do so, Metal would have smiled as his processor hummed a merry, macabre tune; why turn down such a slice of fortune? Powering his jets, the robotic hedgehog swooped down, arrowing over the ground to mimic the attack that should have crippled his first target; without the protection of a shell, the purple cat would be taken out with one clean hit. He locked on, his trajectory automatically altered to allow maximum tissue disruption and damage to the target, jets screaming to build up his lethal speed. H heard the armadillo scream a warning, but it was too late; nothing would stop him now.

XXX

The sight and the scent of fresh blood, pungent and maddening, on the still air finally allowed him to consciously do what he had sworn a solemn vow never to do again. The pain in Mighty's face and body, the way she had been callously crippled by this unloving abomination and the realisation that it planned to do more, hurt her yet again, broke the mental lock Big had placed on his psyche; delving deep into that which plagued his worst nightmares, he welcomed the blood-rage. Without hesitation, the madness came for him again and in his mind, he was there once more, the only place he had previously seen and smelt blood being spilt.

Anger, the same furious, empowering anger that had ripped at him the last time he had seen something so precious to him despoiled, rose unstoppably; he didn't even bother to resist, submitting before the glorious wrath. Big squeezed his eyes shut, feeling them throb, remembering the sensations of last time, the only time, as he knew he always would; _hang the guilt until later_; his teeth gritted, a growl, deep, rumbling and abjectly foreboding, starting deep in his gut and reverberating up his trachea, held in check for the moment; _this is a crime I can't ignore – there's no forgiveness here, there is only punishment!_

"Big, look out!" He heard the shout and the panic within it, but didn't consciously register it; his instincts, primal, savage and used only one before, rose from the darkest corner of his mind in tandem with the bellow that erupted from his throat. Spinning around, Big turned to take Metal's impact head-on.

Something of burnished blue steel filled his crimson vision, moving in sudden slow motion; here and now, he was in control, the ultimate predator, not this crude construct; nothing it did could harm him. He couldn't block the flying missile but, at the same time, why was there any need to – those pathetic things he called weapons only served to enrage him further as he felt something sting his stomach, the air compressing in his lungs as he took the charge and didn't move; something inside him gave with a dull little snap, but it was immaterial; his prey had moved right where he wanted it, and there was no escape now. Even as the robot straightened, now ceased in its movement, Big moved his hand down in a vicious slashing move. A hideous tearing noise filled the air and something cold touched his now bare fingertips, as his other arm shot forwards, crashing into the machine again, drawing more of the cold, heavy blood from it.

It must have realised the danger; it tried to escape, taking flight into the air like some startled bird, but he had no intention of letting it escape; racing forwards, the thrill of the hunt singing its enrapturing tune in his ears, Big took to the air as his most basic instincts were brought forwards; _drag the prey down, then finish it on the floor_.

XXX

For Mighty, it was as though the sun had turned black.

One minute Big had been a lamb awaiting the slaughter, unaware of his approaching destruction, but in the blink of an eye, he'd suddenly transformed into some raging hell-cat, the roar he'd let out shocking her far more than any of Metal's clinical statements because of its primal wildness. She'd seen him spin but before she could curse his sudden insanity, he'd taken a step back, just a single step, enfolding Metal's progress, stopping it dead; his hand had come up and…;_ wait, those are…oh no_! She'd turned away, unable to watch the downward sweep of the massive paw, but there was no way she could block out the shriek of ripping metal as it was first punctured, then shredded by the cat's revealed claws.

_He's a predator_; the realisation was what had truly shocked her for she'd never even considered it before now – he'd been so placid, so laid back she could never have conceived of Big being dangerous. As Metal was hurled backwards, her mind raced, the frantic chase of this new information drowning out even the throb of her sundered arm as she took in the sudden grey liquid that now dripped from the cat's hands; _all cats are natural hunters, it's what they are_; Mighty let her breath quicken a little as she saw her previously invincible foe fly up, the ragged rips in his chest leaking what looked like steel blood, besmirching his remaining blue paint. A little hope rose in Mighty as she beheld the back of this new side of her friend, a slight smile on her lips as she realised this was now more equal; now Metal was weakened, if she could somehow hit him square, she had the potential to smash something vital. _Cats were built to hunt by nature_; she saw Big run, his legs hammering the ground, thighs and calves bunching as she suddenly sprang into the air like a rocket, slamming into Metal, who must have assumed he was out of harm's way at his altitude; _and nature gave them the right tools for the job_.

XXX

Red warning lights had superimposed themselves over Mecha's optics, painting a grim picture of the results of his aborted attack. Large red trails were scoured across his chest, thousands of tiny mercury cells compromised by the slits carved out of his steel plate, reducing his protection by at least a factor of fifteen, more if the secondary strike had ruptured more internally due to the weakened structure. Metal's processors whirred frantically; this was alien to his previous information on the cat; all his previous experience spoke of a gentle creature with nothing to offer a battle save as cannon fodder. Now his armour was fragmented and with his self-repair systems only just coming back online, he had no real way of stopping the damage. As Metal realised how Big had managed to carve open his previously undamaged breastplate, he snarled in annoyance; _this armour has a design flaw – he is not as strong as she is, so how did he damage me?_

His circuits rapidly spelt out an answer; it was a question of pressure. Big wasn't as strong as Mighty, so the force he exerted in a punch was proportionally less than she did. However, when Mighty punched, her force was spread over an area the size of her fist, reducing the pressure on her target; his chest had been designed to stand up to these pressures due to its mercury composition. However, Big had struck with his claws; with all his force focussed on such a tiny point at the tip of such a weapon, the pressure applied at that point had been immense, more than he could feasibly handle, and as such his protection had been breached. With this new knowledge, he could plot his next moves; he couldn't engage in close combat with this opponent, his armour would suffer, so the best strategy would…

An impact, heavy and unbalancing, rocked him hard, a sudden extra weight clamping onto his left leg. His jets whined as they sought to keep his position, new warnings flashing up as three more scratches appeared; _he is here_. Metal was forced to abandon his plans, fight blind against this strange, wild foe, slashing down reflexively as he sought to dislodge his opponent and keep his distance. Feedback from his leg and hand told him he was inflicting damage, but taking it back in equal measure; this was a fight he was now uncertain was in his favour.

XXX

The two struggled in mid-air, trading blow for blow in a battle Mighty could only spectate, heart in her mouth as she prayed to anything that could potentially help for Big to come out on top. His gripping hand had been flayed by the robot's uncoordinated swings, Mecha unbalanced by the sudden dead weight, just as Big's retaliatory clawings had lacked the previous penetration, unable as he was to get any weight behind them. Still the damage inflicted and absorbed was tremendous; gore of both red and silver stained the fur and polished steel of both combatants, with extra layers being applied as every swing of weapons found a home. All but one; Mecha swiped at Big's exposed head, seeing to add to the lattice of cuts he'd already inflicted there, only for his hand to be swallowed by Big's free paw, the lethal spikes ensnared as the cat growled, pulling down hard. Mighty covered her mouth with her free hand, stumbling forwards and ignoring her pain as, pulled off-balance again, his torso dragged down by the weight of the hanging cat, Metal's jet engines powered them both to the floor.

XXX

He couldn't correct his fall; to power up his turbines would only make the impact harder, but to stop them entirely would simply make them fall to the floor. Besides, with the impending collision he had more pressing matters occupying his tactical programmes; the cat had virtually destroyed his leg armour and severed vital coolant feeds and lubrication systems; on the ground, his leg would be much weakened and further reduce his combat effectiveness. As the time to impact lessened, the countdown spiralling down in red digits in the corner of his vision, he braced his systems, trying to twist to make sure he would land in the stronger position, ensuring a quick retreat from this weaker fighting position.

XXX

_Not this time – no escape_; Big felt his prey try to squirm and moved to counter it, wriggling to where he needed to be, attempting to immobilise the robot in his grip as the beast within him roared for more blood, more punishment for this unforgivable sin as, far away, at the very back of the bloodlust, a frightened kitten wept tears as yet unspilt, for he knew what would come after the battle, what he would be cursed with eternally when the rage was gone, and he feared it above all other things. For now though, the instincts of the hunter, what Big was engineered by nature to be, ruled supreme; he was moving even before his feet had touched the floor, throwing his bodyweight around and backwards, slamming his lighter, still moving foe hard into the floor, pouncing as the robot bounced up a fraction from the floor. His arms wrapped around the prey completely, constricting it's mobility in a death-hug as he snapped forwards, biting at the face of his prey to cripple it.

His jaws were weak compared to his arms, but still, a carnivore by birth, his teeth were sharp, strong and pointed. Against steel however, the force was not enough to penetrate; it was perhaps fortunate then that his target was not the steel of Mecha's muzzle, but the hardened plastic that made up his eyes. His top canines lodged in, one slipping but the other finding purchase, biting down and drawing a crack, a general creaking as the hardened safety glass struggled to resist the mounting pressure of Big's bite as he obeyed his instincts and sought to blind his foe.

XXX

There was a time for desperation, and it was now; the impact with the earth had caused minimal damage but had again gone against his tactics; before he could redress the situation his optics had gone black and the sensors around his back had reported a massive increase in pressure; most worryingly, focussed especially on six points was pressure that had the potential to peel open his back armour and reach his vital batteries, destroying his ability to recharge. His claws were still stabbing and drawing blood from his opponent, but without room to swing properly he was unable to get any kind of lethal blow in, and as one of his optical sensors went off-line completely, the robot made a final, desperate move. With a command, his CPU ordered his jets to fire, the aim being that the heat from their backwash would force the hold to be dropped. As the pressure was report as easing off, it seemed he had escaped, until his gyros were span around and he was hurled away, out of the death hold and towards freedom.

XXX

Mighty heard the roar of the jets she had come to dread and saw the stabs of flame; Big had no choice but to drop the hold or risk having his arms incinerated. With a bellow that was more anger than pain, the cat span and exploded his arms forwards, throwing the robot away from him. Metal's thrusters cut off and he hit the solid ground hard, spinning to a halt as Mighty made a choice; despite the damage don to him, Metal was still far too dangerous to risk underestimating. Gritting her teeth against the pain flaring spasmodically from her arm, she raced forwards as Metal came to halt and struggled to rise. He was on hands and knees as she arrived and with haste she kicked out, knocking one of his arms out and pouncing on it, pinning the limb to the floor and holding it down with her good hand as she felt rather than saw Big approach. Metal snapped his head up, his single remaining crimson eye blazing, the other covered with a web of fine cracks and put out as he lashed out with his other hand, seeking to free himself. Mighty snarled in pain as his still functional claws scissored into the meat of her entrapping hand, more pain flooding up her arm even as she realised she had his right hand and the buckled claws on his left weren't doing as much damage as they should have been. _Cold comfort_; tears sprang in her eyes as the assault continued, her grip weakened from the pain and trauma; _if he hits my arm, I'm gone_. She was braced for more pain, Mecha was still rising, getting more of a swing now as he stood up, towering over her as he must have come to the conclusion she already knew; his hand went back, and Mighty prepared for the worst, only to see something huge, purple and terrifying rear up behind the robot.

There was an impact she felt run through Metal's hull and up her own arm, so powerful was it; when she looked, she saw the Metal's blow wouldn't land, for his arm was held back by Big, and the cat had taken the opportunity her resilience had granted him. One of his claws protruded from the robotic shoulder, a blow that would have incapacitated a human if it had landed in the same spot, slicing up through the armpit to hit vital pressure points before ripping the shoulder joint apart. Metal wasn't quite that badly hurt, but as she saw his left hand fall open she knew Big must have severed something vital; seizing the initiative, she let out a cry and braced her feet,

"Big, pull!"

The cat must have heard and between them, they put Metal Sonic on the rack; both Mobians pulled in opposite directions, splaying the robots arms as his synthetic voice cried out in disbelief and rage, jets firing stutteringly as his feet lashed out, trying to dislodge at least one of them even as they tightened their grips, straining to exert more pressure on his weakened structure. But Mighty didn't even look at her opponent; even as she leant back, her bodyweight adding to the stress Metal had to withstand, her eyes were trained on Big's face; _Jesus, what happened to him?_

He'd gone from a gentle giant to a sleek killer; by his face alone she saw that all he wanted to do in the world now was rip Metal Sonic apart with his bare hands, something he had a decent chance of doing if this carried on. But, the more she looked, chipping into the expression of rage like a miner tapping through rocks, the more she saw how thin the veneer was; first in tiny pockets, then as her gaze became more penetrating, in deeper and deeper deposits, then finally opening a rich seam, she saw what lay beneath the cat's rage; _sorrow, fear and he hates it, he hates something_. But Big couldn't hate; Mighty couldn't accept it; what could Big possibly hate, especially about himself, for she was mostly certain it was self-hatred? She was still occupied with this question when, with a tortured scream of rupturing hydraulics, the inevitable happened and the arm she was trying to wrench from its socket finally gave way.

As the robotic limb came free of its placement with a spurt of oil and coolant, Mighty was flung onto her back by the sudden drop; she tried to roll onto her shell, but couldn't prevent the force of her impact jarring her broken arm. Bone grated on bone, agony flamed her arm again and her brain just had to spare her; after the briefest instant of unendurable torment, Mighty blacked out.

XXX

Big twisted his whole bodyweight around, pulling on the arm he still had with all the power of his muscles and the whipcord release of tension. With a roar, he let go; Metal was hurled into the air like a hammer, the cat's claw pulling free with a final scream of sheered metal, severed coolant tubes spraying ice cold liquids randomly as the blue hedgehog droid was thrown away, jets firing before his gyros had even attempted to see the direction he needed to go; he was in no condition to fight now – he needed urgent repair and to his chagrin there was only one place he could find it. Pushing his jets as hard as he could due to the lack of circulating coolant, Mecha headed for Angel Island at a snail's pace, the triumphant bray from behind him a bitter whip of acid on his ego as he was forced to retreat before someone he had never previously considered a threat to him.

Big raged as his prey escaped, even if he could already feel he was descended for rage, the red mist was parting; from one previous experience, he knew what would happen next with certain, terrible recall. As the rage drained away, his breathing became more ragged and he suddenly sank down, clutching his side as it felt like a few ribs had been staved in, broken but overall nothing disabling. Numbing weariness washed over him, as did a strange light-headedness brought about by the sudden realisation of blood loss; no longer empowered by fury, it was an effort to hold himself upright, keeping his head high as he saw Metal's tail flames dimming in the distance. He was still watching them fade away, the knowledge that he'd won tempered by the vicious bile that such a win had come at a high price, when he was able to remember what the price had been; _Mighty!_

She lay across for her, seemingly asleep as her face relaxed in unconsciousness, untroubled by her many wounds as Big finally managed to ascertain her injuries;_ she's hurt badly – this is a nightmare – there's only…I'll have to…_. What was worse was the fact, the undeniable, terrifying fact that, here and now, there was only one thing he could do to alleviate her suffering.

As he knelt, eyes clouded by tears, his powerful hands, claws still stained with poisonous mercury, in position to twist and break, his father's voice reached out to him from the past; _it's the best way son, the kindest way_; he closed his eyes, ready to make the sacrifice and deliver Mighty from her misery; _the only way_.

A second later, the strangely early afternoon air was rent by a second dry, sudden snap.

A/N: I can say nothing – I have already apologised.


	17. Chapter 17 A Ghost that Haunts Forever

Chapter 17 – A Ghost that Haunts Forever.

A/N: To my reviewers, I ask only that, when you read this, you resist the urge to hunt me down and beat me with sticks:

HHH/TH/Ri2 – All that breaks with a snap is not bone; think on that. P.S – HHH; I'd have loved to have given you the answer, but I think you needed to meet me halfway on this one; having the question you wanted a hand with would have helped :-) (and anyway, science teachers have never been forgiving even on the best of days; you could have been paralysed from the neck down and you'd still only have got a couple of days extension.

DH – Shadow and Espio; well I will say I have plans for them in the future, but no, not with Mighty (BTW, where did you get the idea Espio had a hidden flame for her – I thought I wrote him cold as ice?)

Slowly, one step at a time, each single movement generating fresh pain as wounds were split apart and broken ribs grated against each other, Big continued his wretched journey, each step his body took on the path to healing mirrored by every step of his mind on the road to damnation. Tears cleaned twin tracks through the blood on his face; his cheek fur had been washed clean with his own tears as he could not stop them falling; each attempt met with failure as the events of the past minutes and, in tandem with those dire circumstances, the event years before smashed aside any barriers he could erect, squashed any argument he could put forth in his defence. He saw his own darkness again and again, and he knew it would never be brightened; _this time I tried to save life, but I still submitted, I let myself go too far_.

The cat's slow trudge halted for a second as grief welled up within him once more, he had to stop or risk dropping the burden he held in his hands, Mighty's lifeless body limp in his arms as he carried her to the place they both desperately needed to be. From a distance, Big would have looked like a pall bearer, slow, measured strides calculating the distance, well aware of any uneven circumstances in the ground as he felt his way forwards, the journey illuminated as the sun was overhead, perhaps only just beginning to sink, unable to bear the sight of him any longer, a beast in a polite disguise. _The past is a ghost that haunts us forever_; Big bowed his head, recalling an old saying as easily as he would anything else, grateful for his abnormality even as he cursed what it had done to him; _with this, just like the last time, the scars won't heal_. For how long he carried on, the dire memories picking and sniping at his mind again even as he was helpless before them, unable to block them out or protect himself, he didn't know; it was only a feeble groan that broke the chain, forcing him to focus on his burden again as she squirmed unknowingly, fighting her way out of unconsciousness.

XXX

She was weak; tiredness saturated every fibre on her being and so she rested there, the effort of even opening her eyes too much to even begin to contemplate even as pain began to filter through her comfortable numbness. It itched and irritated, seeking to pull her back to the land of the alive even as she struggled against it, safe in the womb of oblivion, wanting to pause where she was, forget the world. But it would not let her be; stronger and stronger the pain pull became, and fighting against it, raising her hands and fists, was counterproductive, bringing only further reinforcements to the fight against her. Her eyelids, she could feel them, much as she could virtually see the consciousness streaming down from her brain and the blackness that surrounded it; more and more she felt, and thus more and more did she suffer from the pain of exposure to the harsh reality of her condition. Struggling against cramp even if her left arm refused to move, held rigid and immobile, Mighty finally succumbed to the inevitable and, drawing in a deep final breath through her mouth, lips peeling apart gummily, the armadillo let her eyelids flop open.

The pictures were blurry, focus not yet restored even as her raw skin reported in; apparently, her entire right side was being pressed gently into something soft and warm. Her shell lacked all forms of sense, so it was only her left shoulder that felt support, being buoyed up by something strong but at the same time yielding to her weight. Something else was just under her tail, again supporting her weight and, she smiled as she finally recognised what was under the fingers of her left hand, giving a tiny squeeze that she felt the hand supporting her hip reciprocate. Despite the pain and sudden super sensitivity she felt to the wind in the air, she knew enough to feel safe, the satisfaction and general relief of knowing her gamble must have paid off. As she finally let her eyes focus upwards, she managed to whisper a few words,

"We did it Big".

The cat somehow managed to smile, the accusations of hate and fear blocked of for a second as now, unlike the last time, gratitude was present – he had saved someone's life and there was the briefest hint of solace in that fact; he had surrendered to his appetite for destruction and that he could never forgive himself for, but at least he had done so for someone else. Looking down as Mighty smiled up at him, secure in her victory and now assured safety, the cat answered,

"Yeah, we did".

Her sight had returned and suddenly she wished her eyes dim again; Big's head was down, face a mask of dried blood, his body criss-crossed with slashes and wounds inflicted by Metal's claws and the jerky, slow pace of his walking made her suspect broken ribs. But of everything, it was his expression and the realisation that the sorrow and hatred she had seen there earlier had surfaced explosively, making his face pale and gaunt, alien to the smiling cat she associated, would always associate with Big. She moved her arm up to stroke his cheek, but in her haste forgot that it had been broken; there was a flare of pain that she quickly checked by relaxing, but barely a second later she had the realisation that she hadn't been able to bend the wounded limb. Raising her head and craning her neck, the armadillo let out a mewl of shock as she saw the twin splints that now encased her arm, setting it rigidly straight and preventing the broken bones from moving within her arm, aggravating the break. That he'd been able to support her injury so well was miracle enough, but as she saw what had actually made up the splint, she felt her sense of awe and humility deepen; _it must have cost the earth for him to do that_;

"Big", the eyelets of the crudely broken twigs that had once been Big's pride and joy stared at her with mesmerising grace, "that's…"

"Replaceable", he cut her off, not wanting to remember how it had hurt to feel the wood give under his hands but, of course, not having a choice in the matter; new tears sprang up and he couldn't stop them even as he spoke the truth, "your arm isn't". The armadillo nodded, seeming to let her head fall back, eyes drifting shut for a moment as exhaustion took its toll on her. Seeing her nod off, the cat was alone again, facing off against the worst the past could do to him.

XXX

"Big?"

It had taken careful planning; though it was by far her preferred tactic to dive in and plough through, it wasn't an option here and feigning sleep had been the best way to gain the peace she needed to plan. This was a nut she couldn't just crack open with a sledgehammer, to try it would simply drive the cat deeper into his mourning; no, this required delicacy, a gentle touch to coax him out of his shell and open up to her; maybe she could help him, but he had to let her first and there in lay the difficulty. _This is the best I think I can do_; Mighty had always been brought up to try her best, but this time she knew she couldn't try – there wasn't any room for failure here; _it's all down to him from here_. For a second she thought he hadn't heard her soft whisper and wetted her lips to try again, but then his head swung down to her, tearing his still watering eyes from where they had been surveying the horizon.

"Yes?" Screwing up her courage, heart speeding up as she thought of the consequences this fatal question could have, for either or both of them. Unsure of her tone, never sure if it was a good idea to be casual or not, she went for the root of the issue,

"What happened back there?"

"Mighty, please";_ I can't explain it – I can't let the guilt spread to others, they can't understand_; "I don't, it's not anything, I won't talk about…" He was silenced more by surprise than the sudden pressure he registered on his lips; something soft brushed his mouth and stilled his broken pleas for silence. Rolling his eyes down, Big saw Mighty looking up at him again, face perfectly serious but at the same time open, soothing as she slowly removed her hand from his lips and spoke once more, voice gentle and mild but at the same time brooking no opposition as the words reached him,

"You can talk to me Big; I had problems at school as well".

XXX

It wasn't somewhere she liked to go in her mind, though thankfully she'd mostly forgotten about it, the hateful whispered barely troubled her now as they had earlier when she had nearly been reduced to tears by them. It was unpleasant, but she needed Big to trust her and, if Mr Trenton had been anything to go by, showing him that she had undergone his experience as well was a good place to start.

"You?" That was good; rather than sorrow or guilt in his deep voice now, or even worse, awkward questions about where she'd found that out about him, there was incredulity as he couldn't believe that admission, "who in their right mind would…?"

"It was the whispers", once at the surface, she had to let the truth go because dwelling on it hurt too much to keep inside for long, "I was never excellent at school, I never looked like a porn star or wore much make up, or had my ears, nose or eyebrows done, so I was rejected by the in-crowd", her lip curled as she spat the words that rankled with her still, "and boy they didn't let me forget it". _Curiosity usually kills the cat_; she saw his want to ask the question even as his manners sought to prevent him doing so; _but in this case it might just save him_.

"What happened?" As she'd hoped, he couldn't help but ask and that was good; she was drawing him into this, making him trust her and the next step of this easier,

"The rumours", she tried to be nonchalant but her body defeated her; even as it hurt, straining at recently formed scabs and pulling on aching muscles, she tensed up, snarling in distaste as she carried on, "you know, they all said I was dumb, or that my mother…well, you get the picture?" He nodded; she read from his eyes that he knew in more than one sense and as such, she was able to carry on,

"Can't remember how long it went on for; not too long though, I got sick of it in the end; the teachers couldn't prove anything and, looking back I suppose they couldn't, so I sorted it out", a feral smile emerged on her face; somehow, this scene stood out clearly in her memories and it still gave the satisfaction rush it had from years ago, "I found the biggest loud-mouth I could, and I hit him".

Big winced; luckily he'd never seen how hard Mighty could actually hit something, but having been forced to prise Metal's uprooted arm from her unconscious grip, he could take an educated guess if the strength of that grip was anything to go by. Mighty nodded in relish, speaking even as relived the memory in her mind, her words little more than running commentary,

"I just walked up, tapped him on the shoulder, he turned round and said something rude, so I slugged him", she used the thumb of her operational hand to finger the very point of her chin, "got him right there, nailed him dead on; I didn't break his jaw, I wasn't that strong then, but I made his eyes water for sure".

"And were you punished for this?"

"Nah, not really", Mighty gave a shrug, seeing the disbelief on Big's face and not quite understanding it; _all I did was stick up for myself – there's nothing wrong with that_; "I got a few detentions, but the teachers knew I was having a hard time and mostly let it slide; his mum was making a lot of noise and she dragged me and my parents into the head's office – I think she was going to complain until my dad turned her car around and pushed it out the front gate – that shut her up", she smiled at that memory and quipped, "runs in the family I guess".

"Yeah, I guess". He was still not fully convinced, but that was a good a job as she could do; now it was the end of this, all that happened next would depend on him. With baited breath and her fingers crossed, Mighty looked the cat square in the face,

"What about you Big; you had a hard time as well – you asked me and I answered; now I ask you – what happened?"

XXX

He was cornered, no two ways about it; had it been any other secret than this, he would have spilt it immediately, confiding in her as she had done with him. But this, this was something else; he wanted to forget it even if he knew it would never be possible for him and as always the worst fear of all. _If she knows what I've done, how close I came to killing someone_; he drew in a deep breath, trying to sort out his muddied thoughts; _would she desert me – I can't…I don't want that, not from her_. But at the same time, much as he didn't want Mighty to abandon him, there was no denying the truth that a small and much silenced part of him wanted so desperately to jettison that which he'd spent his life since that point trying to forget, had grown aged and tired of bottling up and was now desperate to talk regardless of the outcome. As Atlas had passed his burden of the great sky to Hercules, if only for a moment, so he could lift his burden for a mere minute. A combination of expectation, respect for both Mighty's courage in breaking the ice first and revealing her own unpleasant truths and just a weary desire for the nightmare to pause, compelled the first words of the stole, the whole, grisly story, to spill from his lips,

"I was four, just turning to five, when they first saw it…"

XXX

_So young_; the age was a shock to her; _to have grown up with it for a few months was bad, but years, decades even…_; mighty stilled her tongue and her whole body, even as the sight of Big in such pain was tearing at her to say something, hold her arm around him to ease the strain as the story wore on,

"I'd just started taking proper classes; we were just starting to learn the two-times table", a small smile broke Big's pain for a moment, the memory sweet before it turned to rancid and foul, "the teacher, Ms Wheelen, she'd drawn it up on the board, all the way to twelve; we all started reciting it, you know, trying to learn. After a couple of goes, she covered the board and said to do it again, and I did. Just me".

"You did the whole table?" _They could have called him a swot or a nerd maybe…_

"All the way, first time", the cat nodded, recalling the pride at the praise from his tutor at the mnemonic feat, "at break, Ms Wheelen took me to the head, Mr Cook, to show him; he joked and said I should try it again, and I did, the whole table all over, no cards, nothing. That was when he stopped laughing".

"I bet; that's impressive at just under five".

"It got better", his tone was dead, untouched even by the pride she would have certainly let herself feel; her suspicions of being reputed as a swot rapidly increased as he continued, "he reached into his desk, handed me an old strip of card that had the three times table on it; said I should read it. I recited it once, then he took it back and asked if I could say it again. I did, perfectly, the whole way through again". Mighty hardly believed this; it had taken her three weeks to nail the three times table, and sometimes she still had trouble with it now.

"Jammy sod; after just one read?" Big carried on as though he hadn't heard her,

"He said I was a good lad and told me to go and play with the others; I didn't have a clue what he was doing next until eight days later", his eyes misted though his voice remained consistently dead as he spoke on, "I was excused from class and taken into what was the dining hall; my mum and dad were there, with Mr Cook and someone else, introduced herself as Ms Venett. She was nice to me, said she had a few tests for me to try out, like little games; I played them, not realising what they were trying to do with me. After an hour, the break time bell went and they let me go, all polite and looking pleased with me. I didn't think anything of it, until I got home that night. Mum and dad were all over the place with excitement; at the table while we were eating, Dad stood up and told everyone what the news was; he looked at me and said I'd been given a gift", the word was poison, Big spat it out like a venomous snake, lips creased in bitterness as he repeated his father's words in his own, "a great gift, and I'd proved it earlier", he looked down at her; Mighty tried to make the gears click as she suddenly knew exactly what he was going to ask, "any ideas what that gift was, which blessing someone upstairs had seen fit to bestow on me?" Sarcasm was putting her off, but she finally took a stab in the dark,

"Good memory?"

"No"; _oh well, wasn't expecting to get…_; "not good, perfect", she looked up at him, half-sitting up in amazement as Big revealed the hidden truth he had been cursed with; _and it is a curse, no matter what anyone else says – it's going to kill me one day, slowly poisoning me until I just give up and die_; "I can never forget".

XXX

It didn't sink in; of everything she'd been expecting, that hadn't even made the top one million list. She tried to think of what that could be like, what it could have meant for a person to never, ever forget anything, have perfect vision of the past, but she couldn't; it was as hopeless as trying to explain what colour was to a blind man. Her mouth moved, suddenly dry as she croaked,

"You, you remember…?"

"Everything", the cat nodded, reassuring her of that fact beyond doubt, "anything I see, anything I feel, anything I do", he shuddered even as Mighty felt the arm supporting her waist twitch; she guessed had he not been carrying her, he would have tapped his temple; as things stood, she wasn't sure how she'd cope on her feet and didn't want to risk blacking out again, "it's all up here, all in my head and I can never get rid of it".

The pieces clicked into place and her mind expanded dramatically; it was as if she'd panned out to see how the world worked from a wider perspective; _he sees, he can remember at any time…it makes so much sense, it's perfect_.

"That's how you draw, isn't it?" She didn't wait for his answering nod; she couldn't, her excitement wasn't going to let her as it moved her lips for her, the words tumbling over each other to explain things, "you're a great artist because it's there all the time; you don't need a pose, you just shut your eyes and the scene you want's there. That's how you do it, that's why your so good", one image flashed up, the prime example of the proof of this and she seized upon it; forgetting that she wasn't supposed to know of it, that she'd sworn a promise of secrecy, the armadillo exclaimed, "that's how you painted The End of the Hunt".

Big stopped dead, every muscle in his body suddenly taught as a bow string as Mighty felt herself compressed even harder into his chest; something like an electric charge ran through her body as fear mixed with heady excitement. The scene remained such for a moment; Big seeming to ask without moving his lips,

"How did you know that?"

"I, ah"; _that wasn't planned…what now? I'm a hopeless liar, just say it and go from there_; "I was going to get another sketch book for you, just to say thanks for the bed for the night. I had a look at the original, so I knew where to go. I went to Trenton's and…"

"I can guess what happened next", Big was angry, but she was cautiously optimistic that the rage was draining out of him, as if he realised this was a secret that would have come out eventually, it had been merely a matter of time, "my portfolio?"

"Yes, I've seen it", here there was no plan; these were words from the heart and the heart alone, "Big, every single one of those is a master work; Mr Trenton's right, you are the brightest talent there is probably in the world today, but you live in a swamp, alone, with nothing? I don't understand".

"You wouldn't"; the tone was harsh and unfeeling; Mighty slunk away a little, feeling the line she was treading buckle before a tremor communicated itself through Big's body; she looked up to see his face twist in self-recrimination before he opened his eyes again and looked, beginning an apology she didn't need to hear,

"Hey", she reached up with her sound arm again, gently placing her hand on the blood-spattered fur on his shoulder, rubbing softly as she brushed off any perceived insult, "don't sweat it; there's a lot here I can't see, I should have been more careful on unknown ground". He was quiet for a minute, turning his cheek to the source of her comforting strokes; she had to stretch up a little to reach his cheek but she managed it, running her still gloved hands through the damp fur there before sinking back, granting Big the time he needed to speak again in his own time.

XXX

The cat began walking once more, barely registering the weight he still carried as he spoke again, the tone still lifeless as he trudged on, recognising the landmarks effortlessly as he had walked this way before, his infallible hindsight showing him the way,

"I loved my primary school", that took Mighty a little by surprise, but she held her peace as he carried on, "I was okay at subjects, it was mostly parroting anyway so I was, as you can imagine, excellent at it. But most of all I loved it because I had loads of friends; I used to amaze them with my memory – they tried for years to make me forget tiny things but I couldn't", the armadillo was relieved to hear a chuckle in his lightening mood as he recalled one incident above all, "one time, during one of those half-days off you get sometimes, they got a pack of cards and tried to make me forget the order of the cards, how many extra cards they slipped in, what way around some cards were, anything to try and make me slip, but I beat all of them; I made thirty marbles, fourteen conkers and half an Easter egg out of that one". Mighty joined the laughter even if she knew it would be fleeting,

"The world's smallest gambling racket; Big, the godfather of the playground, got a bit of a ring to it".

"Maybe, but it never lasted did it?" His eyes had hardened and Mighty realised this was coming to a conclusion, "we were all split apart, two different schools in the area; had to take a test to go to the best and I aced it with my memory; only one other guy from my primary made it in with me and I didn't get on brilliantly with him. So I was on my own when secondary school started. I learned something in my first day there", the cat snorted in contempt, though whether the negative emotion was aimed at himself or those who had taught him the lesson, she didn't know, "no-one likes a smart-arse".

XXX

_So it all started here_; Mighty could picture it perfectly – new kid, seemingly smarter than most, does well, so everyone else, especially those who haven't got two brain cells to rub together, have to try and drag him down to their level; _how totally…cowardly, and stupid_.

"They, ah, didn't get on with you?"

"They made my life hell", Big spat, anger resurfacing as he filled her in, "every day they picked at me, went for me; I nearly had a break down in my third year, but I could cope. My mum and dad were there for me, and half-way through my first summer I ran into Mr Trenton's shop, trying to get away, and he took my under my wing. He taught me to draw, than moved on to paints; I loved it and it dulled what they all tried to do to me. In art, I was my own man, I thought I could use paint to find a world where I was free, they couldn't touch me, but I was wrong", his teeth were bared, hatred of himself was evident and Mighty was again lost as to why; _what went wrong – what did they do to you Big?_

"It was meant to be a present", the torrent was rising, the cat slowing to a snail's pace as the armadillo listened intently, hanging on his every word as it may have held the key to unlocking this deadly history, "I liked the headmaster, and he was going to leave the same year I was, so I wanted to get him something. He was Mr Edwards, and he always tried to make it out like the school was a home from home, so I decided to try that; I painted the school from the front, getting all the buildings right, trying to get it as perfect as I could in my head. Mr Trenton knew the man, so he let me use part of his store; I tried for weeks, months even, until I was sure it was as good as I could make it. My dad paid for Mr Trenton to frame it, and it was all set to go; there was going to be a special assembly the next day as the head stepped down. I brought the picture in, gave it to my form teacher, and then went off to the assembly". He had to stop completely, the memory racing back and forcing more tears from his sore, aching ducts; Mighty watched as more pure tears were discoloured by the blood they encountered and her heart went out to the colossus carrying her as his soul-rending lament continued,

"It was on the main stage, covered up as the speeches went on; service to school, a pupil's favourite for many years, a great man and friend, then right at the end it was to be presented; a gift from a gifted individual seated here. I was called to the front of the whole assembly, I've never been so proud of myself, to hand it over to Mr Edwards; he smiled and went to accept it as the cover came off and…" Mighty knew with heart-wrenching certainty what was going to happen next; Big's voice choked off, unable to finish – he could only nod his head at her guess,

"It was ruined?"

"Black cross", the cat drew a shuddering breath to try and talk once more, drawing himself up as he shook her tears from his eyes, "there was a cross, right across it, spoiled it. Everyone laughed, Mr Edwards was trying to be nice but I saw his face; he was as cut up as I was. Me, I just ran, I can't explain what I was feeling, I just had to get out of there – I went as fast as I could, just ran, locked myself in the first room I could and sat down".

"You did well", they were meant to be comfort, but in this case her words had the same affect as cracker crumbs to a starving, dying man, "just running away, get out of there".

"But I didn't; should've but I…" the storm was raging now, Big sinking slowly to his knees in case his arms went, unable to wipe away his own tears as Mighty closed her eyes, "…I thought, about it, and the more I did, I felt something inside me; it got bigger, stronger and it wanted to be let go. I should've, been stronger, but I couldn't; I was angry, so mad, I wanted to hurt them, make them feel as bad as I did; I went lower than any of them could ever be. I knew who'd done it; and I went after him".

XXX

He was destroying himself; Mighty could see that clearly now, the memory of what he'd done was crushing him; from his face she knew, she just knew, he wasn't seeing the past, he was reliving it; the anger was etched on his face and she heard something scrape across her shell, his claws flexing out instinctively as his words were twisted, guttural with rage,

"I knew where he'd be and I went there; I felt so strong, like I could take on the world, nothing could stop me and I'd do what I wanted, when I wanted. It was powerful, I was powerful; people, teachers and staff as well, they saw me and just ran out the way; anyone in the way I just pushed past them, I didn't care – all I could see was red. I saw him, and I just reacted; he never stood a chance".

"Good", she couldn't help herself; the injustice was enough to warrant such punishment; to have something so lovingly painted destroyed would have done the same to anyone and Mighty knew that, "Big, after that anyone would have been out for blood; if it were me he'd be dead by now…"

"He nearly was", the words were an anguished cry as his knees gave way, landing them both on the ground with a thump that sent pain up Mighty's arm, "the only reason he survived was because he was taller than me".

_Oh Jesus_; in that second, Mighty remembered the conclusions she'd come to earlier, why Big had been able to succeed where she had failed; _he was built for the kill, and no-one saw it coming_. She wanted to block it out, but she resisted the urge to close her eyes; she had to understand what Big had done, see his tormented features, before she could even hope to have a plan of attack to cure it,

"If we'd been the same height, I'd have slit his throat open", the cat wailed like he were dying, and he might have been wishing he was if his face was anything to go by, "I ripped his chest apart, blood went everywhere but I didn't care, I wanted it, I wanted to hurt him, he deserved to pay I told myself, and I didn't let up. I just went on going, claws, teeth and fists; it took four staff and a couple of pupils to drag me off and even then I still wanted to go, finish what I'd started. But it went, the bloodlust went, and I was left alone again; when I came back down, and I saw, I knew what I'd done".

"And no-one could blame you", Mighty thrashed, tears in her own eyes as she fought to stand up, damn her own weakness as she half-managed to sit I his arms, skimming the grass with her toecaps as she cried over his own roars of pain, "no-one would; after everything they'd done to you, ruining your work, they deserved it, he deserved it; you gave a piece of scum exactly what he deserved and there's nothing wrong with that. You went really mad at someone, everyone does once in a while, I sure as hell do; it's just something that happens and you have to…"

It was the word she had meant to say that did it; freezing numbness paralysed her completely, the gulf between them stretched into eternity and just for once Mighty prayed it was something she'd never cross, at least not for this. She knew inside herself with horrible certainty that she couldn't do what Big must have done, was still doing even to this day, standing up strong, living with the past as only he could,

"You can't, can you?" Her words came out in a strangled, horrified whisper, mind still reeling as the scales fell from her eyes, "you're still there, it's still there, isn't it? You can't forget".

XXX

"I can, still feel the bones break", Big shuddered, sobbing uncontrollably as Mighty had no choice but to listen, she couldn't cover her ears, forced to endure along side him as he continued, "the taste's still there; I can, sip blood whenever I want, and it's horrible. But, but the worst was, everyone was like you; they said it wasn't my fault, but they were lying"; _no, no they weren't, I'm not, it wasn't you_; "there was doubt there, in their eyes, just for a second but that was enough; there's blood", he choked for a second, sobs wracking him as his voice, a feeble shadow of its normal richness, tried to continue, "there's blood on my hands Mighty, and I know they'll never be clean; time can't wash it off and I can't forgive myself – I'll always know I should have been stronger, I shouldn't have gone all the way". It was too much for the armadillo; with a cry of regret and shared pain, she reared up, ignoring the pain in her broken arm as she wrapped her other around Big's neck, pulling herself in tight, trying to help shoulder his burden as he carried on, a new chapter in his awful story, so freshly scribed the ink could still blot the pages,

"I had to run away, left everything; my mum was in tears but she knew what I had to do. Dad and my sisters helped build my home, and I've not seen them since, not very often anyway; just write when I can. But now this; I gave in again, and it'll never leave me; I want to live alone, have to, try and live with what I did and now it's just got stronger. The sight of you, covered in blood, just before you fainted, the screaming", with his free hand he squeezed his own head as though straining to crush his skull like a melon, "it's poison, a poison in my mind, and it'll drive me mad eventually. I've ruined my gift, polluted it and it will kill me for doing so".

"You weren't there".

XXX

Clinging on as she was, Mighty was battered by the force of his words, the raw pain within them enough to make her own arm feel like a nick with a razor. _His art, ruined and that's all he can see, because he has seen nothing different_; all she had to picture that could possibly form comfort from was a scene from her own recent memory, a world away from Big's and never had she been more grateful; suddenly forgetfulness, often reviled for rearing its head at exactly the wrong moment, seemed like the greatest favour ever given to mortals.

"You weren't there", he whispered, for her throat was too constricted for her to do anything else, "you never saw their faces Big; Rouge was…and Knuckles too, they saw The End of the Hunt; it's a treasure to them Big, priceless, worth more than the world".

"My art damned me", his words were immutable, set in stone; he couldn't take her word for it, "the picture, when it was ruined made me lose my mind and when it came back, it was damaged".

"No" her grip tightened, her hand snaking into the back of the cat's neck and gripping, dragging his head up to look her square in the eye, the fire of challenge lit there once more, "you are not damaged, you are a good Mobian and a kind one. You just saved my life, and you've made two of your friends the happiest people in the world today; I will make you see that".

With that new desire burning in her soul like a cold fire, the armadillo stopped caring for herself; in seconds, she had her shoulder underneath Big's and was straining upwards, fresh determination in her manner as she spoke uncompromisingly,

"Right, up; the station's this way", slowly his arm rose; Mighty gritted her teeth as the strain pulled on her recently formed scabs but carried on through the pain barrier, "we both need casualty, then we'll go from there". As the cat took his first pace forwards, restarting the journey, Mighty felt everything else melt away; pain, exhaustion, the lot – never before had she focussed on a goal as she did now. As the path lay before her, she knew she had to somehow come up with a plan to help piece back together this broken, guilty mind.

XXX

The guard had seen them, come rushing over to help ease them into a carriage; Mighty brushed off the questions as Big was in no fit state to answer them. The pair sat down and the driver was notified; there were no stops on the way back to Station Square, it was obvious to anyone that the both the Mobians needed help badly. The train roared into the station and the ambulance was already waiting, one for each of them; though it hurt like hell to separate, Mighty had to let the cat go, sinking onto the cot the paramedics supplied for her, body resting as her mind raced; somehow she had to see a way that would let Big forget; _no, that's not possible, he can't forget – it's like, I've got to drown out the bad stuff, make him focus on something else_; she was only jerked back to reality from her brooding when a nurse loomed over her, asking for her next of kin.

"None, not in this city anyway, but I've got some friends here, would they…?" _Yes_; there it was, a silver road for her to walk; _if Mohammad can't go to the mountain..._; she quickly gave the address and number; the nurse noted it and then departed, a slight frown on consternation on her face as she wondered why anyone could smile about having a broken arm and a large number of deep, long cuts on their torso.

XXX

As she'd hoped and expected, the second she was out of the patching up room, sporting a new cast and a couple dozen stitches, her vision was assailed by blue as Sonic crowded her bedside on his own, virtually frantic as he saw what had happened,

"Mighty, Christ are you...?"

"Sonic…" The blue hedgehog carried on, slamming fist into palm as his eyes blazed,

"I'm going to hunt that tin foil coke can down and shear every circuit in his body; no-one gets away with this…"

"Sonic, I need…"

"How long will you be here", Mighty's patience hit its end just as Shadow and Amy appeared in the ward entrance and Sonic carried on speaking, "they said it'd be a few days, but will you…?"

"Sonic, shut up!" Might had to keep her voice low because of the other occupants of the ward, but her steely growl choked off the rest of the desperate hedgehog's questions. Beckoning them all in, the armadillo began,

"Listen, I'm going to be all right; Metal did a number on me but I'll survive; I've just got to make sure Big does as well".

"Big", Amy looked around as though expecting the cat to pop out the nearest bed locker, "he's here too?"

"Yeah, but listen, I need you to do something, one of you", she pointed at Sonic and Shadow; both shared a glance, then leaned in as Mighty whispered something – when they came away, there was an expression that could only be described as disbelief on both the blue and black faces,

"Mighty", it was Shadow who recovered his tongue first, "surely that can wait until tomorrow".

"No it can't; there's a life", she cut off, shutting her eyes for a second before taking a breath and carrying on, more calmly now, "no, that's wrong; there's a mind at stake here, a beautiful mind that just need to see something. If you go now, there's still time – visiting time's until eight".

"But how are we going to get them here?"

"Use a knife if you have to; there's nothing more important that this now; believe me if you're late you better pray I don't cop hold of you both, broken arm or none. Now move!"

XXX

Tails was tinkering in the garage, just reaching for the combination tool Sonic had brought him for Christmas and flicking out the screwdriver attachment when something yanked hard on the duckboard he was laying on, shooting him out into the sudden brightness of his workshop. Squinting up, he had a greeting to give,

"Hi guys; to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Is the Tornado ready to fly?"

"Umm, yeah, it's ready, I just refuelled after this morning". Sonic nodded,

"Good, then get strapped in", the blue hedgehog answered his brother's look of confusion with a hand on the shoulder and a proclamation, "we've got a cargo to get, and the clock's ticking".

A/N: this chapter was written for anyone who's ever felt that angry, ever been that mad; it's a terrible feeling when it goes away and you have to pick up the pieces. But what would happen if you could never forget, that moment of regret was with you forever – can Mighty help Big to deal with these years of lamented brooding on his one previous mistake?


	18. Chapter 18 Healing Heart, Body and Soul

Chapter 18 – Healing Heart, Body and Soul.

A/N: Last chapter now, but fear not; I'll be back at the old writing board soon to get on with the next fic (see end A/N for more info). For now though, excuse me if I take a little pride in my cliff-hanger working:

HHH – Yeah, I don't like killing characters, too final for me – you did well to remember that little detail. Good luck with the cast coming off!

Ri2 – Yeah, a perfect memory must be both a blessing and a curse; it's up to Mighty to make Big see the blessing it could be to him.

RGN – The bone, yeah that's a good point; I used to work in a butcher's shop and believe me you could tell if they were breaking a bone or not (shudders). Bloody horrible noise.

DH – You're half-right in your guessing; don't do yourself down, but I have to admit I never really thought about Espio holding a flame for Mighty; now that would have been good. A shame, but believe me I have plans for Espio, and Shadow as well now I think of it, in the future; just keep reading.

TH – Who, me? Kill Mighty – nah, we're going to need her to have any hope with the rest of this motley crew!

_Now most couples, on an evening in, would be curled up together in front of a crackling fire with a couple of glasses of wine and a box of chocolates to share_; Lara shook her head in annoyance and tapped some more keys on her calculator, again grateful that Tails had remembered her order to replace the one that had finally caved in after years of loyal service; _if you're coupled with Wynmacher, however, you get to spend a wonderful time number-crunching as he is completely hopeless at anything mathematical_. Even as she bemoaned the lack of romance in her kitchen, she had to suppress a smile; for Wyn, this system was a real leap in ingenuity.

The brown echidna was lovable, affable and knew how to make virtually anyone laugh, but when it came to facts and figures he just did not have a clue. Therefore, after cunningly setting her up with a stray bottle of bubbly and a nicely wrapped video, he'd innocuously asked for a bit of her help setting his monetary affairs in order. A couple of pointers here and there had eventually resulted in this, even by her standards, bizarre ritual; every month, when all his bills had come in along with his bank statement, Wyn would trip to her home and she'd help him get them all paid and set out next month's budget; he helped as much as he could, but there was no denying his main role in this endeavour was as tea-maker and biscuit provider due to his uncanny ability to turn even the most simple calculation into something Pythagoras would have had a hard time explaining. It was slow, practical and mind-numbingly dull work – glamorous it was not. There was only one oasis of rest in this desert of arithmetic gloom; at least it didn't take too long,

"There", she carried the last three and worked out how much he'd be saving this week before throwing her pen down in triumph, sighing as Wyn looked up hopefully, "done; according to this you're a bit better off this month, so I put the extra money in the bank; no spending it, get it?" She wagged a finger sternly, fighting not to smile at the brown echidna's hangdog pout,

"Aww, Lara you're such a spoil-sport", she was about to unload at his ingratitude before he suddenly stepped forwards and squeezed her shoulder, rubbing the muscles in her back as she made to stand up, "but I love you for that; where would I be without you?"

"Probably on the street with nothing but your chef's hat to keep out the cold" she smirked back, feeling him ruffle her dreadlocks playfully before turning to the fridge, "oi, you're on a diet!"

"You can talk Ms three-éclairs-at-lunchtime"; Lara felt herself redden as he caught her out effortlessly,

"That shop was running a special offer, a one-off".

"And you made the most of it if this fridge is anything to go by", she was about to turn around and argue her case when something cold was pressed to the back of her neck and she squeaked in shock, "but luckily, so did I – hope you like your wine chilled".

As she got the glasses, Lara just had to raise a point,

"How'd you sneak that one in?"

"I know you Lara; one look at the papers I had and you were away – you never even looked at my other hand".

"You were hiding it behind your back".

"True, and aren't you glad I did?" She shook her head as with a pop, Wyn finally eased the reluctant cork from the top of the bottle, smiling slightly as she couldn't deny it,

"Yeah", an inspiration, "and I bet you're glad that I did stock up on my supermarket trip now? Oh no, sorry, not for you; the diet is still in force".

"Oh come on!" Wyn was outraged by this; due to his work and the fact he liked to snack during his working hours, Lara had realised that, having lost his major fitness activities in the aftermath of his sky-ball injury, he was starting to suffer a little spread around the middle. As such, when they'd got together properly, she'd been forced to cut back on a lot of the sugary things he liked to eat and he had to grudgingly admit it had worked like a charm, but surely she could make an exception this time around?

"I'm not going anywhere; I saw you helping yourself to my caramel creams when you got the milk for the tea Wynmacher; you better have left me some or there'll be trouble".

"Why, you can just get your toy-boy to run a few more up here".

"Tails is not my toy-boy and he is not a cargo ship; he's a good friend of mine, especially as he helped me clear up after the Thunderhawk debacle of a stag night", that still brought her out in anguished squirming; how had four Mobians made such a mess in about six hours?

"Yeah, gotta admit I like the guy", Wyn hadn't really met the fox prior to a twirl on the dance floor at Knuckles' wedding reception, right before the fox had been shanghaied by the irate offended parties of his now-legendary photograph, but he was easy going enough for him to get along with; _and those caramels are to die for_; "but, please, just a handful more?"

"No, and that's the last word on the subject"; Lara turned away before his expression of wounded pleading bored right through to her funny bone, "I'm going to set the video up and if I hear the fridge door open, they'll be trouble, get it?" _Not as badly as you're going to_; Wyn hid his motive perfectly behind a scolded schoolboy look,

"Yes ma'am"; Lara didn't deign to look behind her at the sarcasm, and as a consequence, failed to see the brown echidna sneaking in her footsteps as she entered the lounge.

She managed to half-turn at the sound of rushed footsteps, already berating herself for not seeing the trap in his voice before suddenly she was caught; two arms encircled her and crushed her close to the other echidna's chest. Lara growled and struggled, fighting to break the hold with her arms pinned as Wyn whispered in her ear,

"Sure I can't have a few measly sweets Lara?"

"Perfectly", she had braced as much as possible; now she had to survive the onslaught at the same time as somehow get free, "they're mine!" She screwed her face up as she felt Wyn's hands dig into just below where her ribs met her stomach side, desperate not to giggle as she tried to squirm around in his arms, drop to the floor where she had an advantage; _I can fight on the floor, but up here and this close I've had ihihihit_.

"Just say yes Lara", Wyn tightened his grip, using one arm to hold her upright as the other tickled, probing her defence as he had to chuckle at her comically pinched features, "just say it and this'll all go away". Her lips moved minutely, the echidna lady not giving in without a damned hard fight even if his hold was iron,

"No". _Right, time to try that move I practiced with the waitresses_; his smile darkened just before he moved,

"Have it your way", like lightning he altered his grip, pushing her struggles one way, letting her do all the work for him before she could stop it; in a split-second she'd gone from side-on to facing away from him , with both his hands in position to nibble away and break her down, "you asked for it Lara-Le".

"I'll get…you Wyn!" She tried to hold his hands still, but always a finger could move and, as his hands inched slowly lower, right to near her navel she knew the end was in sight; he so much as stroked there and that was it, she'd be a wreck. _Gotta, gotta think_; she couldn't think, the torment was making her mind buzz just like him holding her this close was; she was running out of time and options when, unknowingly, someone else saved her bacon.

A hard rap at the door sundered his concentration, allowing her to break out from his arms and snatch a deep breath, her face a little flushed as she rubbed where he'd been tickling, scowling as she realised he'd used that unfair advantage again. For his part, Wyn just pointed with a single finger and shook his head,

"Saved". She walked past him, keeping her eyes on his face as if expecting him to strike again; he somehow resisted the urge until she was gone from the corner of his eye, then he jumped as something tweaked the tip of his tail. He span incredulous as Lara smiled with a twinkle in her eye,

"Saved", she leant forwards a little, her voice thickening seductively, "for later".

"Lara behave"; he raised an eyebrow as she giggled,

"I used to; you've been a bad influence".

"Would you have me any other way?"

"Nah; okay, coming", she shouted suddenly as the knocking came again; Wyn dogged her footsteps, ducking out into the hall as Lara opened the door.

XXX

_Sonic_; that was unexpected – in fact, seeing anyone at this time was fairly unexpected by Lara. She was about to ask what he was doing here when the blue hedgehog suddenly took charge,

"Good, you're here", he pointed to where her travelling shawl hung next to the door, "get your coat, you've got to come with me".

"What?" She opened the door a little more, really not understanding why the blue hedgehog was even here as he stepped in, pulling her coat off the hook for her and thrusting it towards her,

"No time to explain; this is life or death"; _mine of Mighty was anything to go by_; "Wyn, you better come too; in fact, I'll take you first". The blue hedgehog's hand shot to his pocket and in a second he'd hit a button, then a second later he'd hit another before facing both echidnas again, "Shadow'll be here in a second for you Lara; Wyn, here now".

Caught in circumstances he couldn't understand, not with the limited information Sonic had given him, the brown echidna looked up at Lara, asking for a little help, only to see her as mystified as him. _Well, life or death_; he went with his gut and suddenly nodded, expression hardening as he moved forwards into the hedgehog's arms.

"Right, what do I do?"

"Out here", hopping from foot to foot, the hedgehog led him into the road and then indicated how he should hold on; he was about to take off before he remembered Wyn hadn't done this before,

"Wyn?"

"Yeah?"

"Just hold tight, don't let go and keep your eyes shut, at least until you get used to it", he felt fingers tighten their grip before setting his gaze and suddenly sprinting forwards, fast as he dared with a new passenger on board; a streak of flame passed him on the outskirts of Echidnopolis and he gave a thumbs-up; _if Shadow's got the other two we can make a quick getaway_.

XXX

Knuckles wasn't troubled by the night; due to the season it was reasonably warm; what got to him more was the sudden turning up of Shadow on the doorstep; with nothing more than a few clipped words top get ready, the black hedgehog had simply grabbed Rouge and taken off, racing back to where he said the Tornado was waiting . No more than minutes later, he'd been getting the same treatment from his ebon friend as he tore up the ground, ending with him being left quickly on the ground, looking up at the parked plane as Rouge shook her head at him, utterly baffled; he'd turned to speak to Shadow, only to be met with a fading line of red as he was gone again, off on another errand.

"What the hell is going on?" He exclaimed out loud, raising his voice to shout at the cockpit of the Tornado, "Tails, what's all this about?"

"Ask him"; he followed to where Rouge had pointed and saw with a rush that Sonic was up here to, and on his shoulders was,

"Wyn?" The brown echidna lurched unsteadily to his feet, breathing as though it'd been him, not Sonic, who'd done the running from Echidnopolis to here. Rouge peeled her eyes from the sight of the gasping echidna and fixed them on Sonic,

"Sonic, what is going on here; Shadow's dragged us here and now Wyn's here? What are you doing?"

"I'll explain when Lara gets here; yes, Shadow's gone for her and yes, we need her too. Get on board, we'll explain at the top there when we're underway".

"Where…?"

"Later, it's not important – trust me on this"; he walked forwards, flapping his arms and herding the other three Mobians up the boarding ramp as, with another rush of flame, shadow arrived at the clearing edge, stopping steadily to allow Lara-Le to regain her feet, pointing to where the others were now ascending the transport,

"Up there; don't panic, we'll explain en route". Seeing her son and his bride duck inside gave her the confidence; without a backward look Lara headed up, Shadow on her heels as the three super-speed trips he'd done robbed him briefly of breath. Once he was inside, Sonic did a quick head count and, seeing they were all strapped in, shouted

"Clear", through the two-way Tornado radios; with a lurch they could all feel, the Tornado revved up and, after a minute of reorientation from such unexpected circumstances, the inevitable questions started, Rouge slightly the quickest off the mark,

"Right, what's all this about; we're just about to hit the sack for the night and next thing we know Shadow's trying to break the door down".

"Likewise with us", Lara backed up her daughter-in-law, indicating herself and Wyn, "without the sack bit of course; but what's so important…?" Sonic cut her off gently by raising a hand,

"Well for a start I can't tell you exactly because I'm not a hundred percent myself, neither is anyone else, but that's the reason for this trip – we're going to find out. Lemme explain", he elaborated in the face of such questioning, and in some cases malcontent, looks, "all I know is that Mighty was attacked while she was down in Station Square".

"Oh Christ, is she okay?" Rouge's protective instincts sprang to the fore; _she's a good friend of mine now – who the hell did anything to her?_ To mounting concern, the blue hedgehog shook his head, teeth gritted,

"No, she's in Station Square general with a broken arm and a lot of cut wounds".

"Metal", Knuckles was vividly reminded of how Vector had described the aftermath of his brush with the assassin droid, "it was him wasn't it?"

"Yeah", Shadow wasn't going to deny that, but he was just fast enough to rise above the inevitable questions and demands for Mighty's health and Metal's soon-to-be detriment, "but listen, she's going to be all right, but this is the thing none of us get; when we saw her, she gave the hospital Sonic's contact details, she just wanted to see you four, said something about a mind on the line. Believe me she really wanted to see you, but none of us know why; that's why you're here".

"In that case, not a problem", Lara smoothed out her dress as she made herself more comfortable, nursing training making its usefulness known as she said carefully, "if seeing us makes her feel more secure and eases something on her mind, it'll help her recover faster".

"Then that's settled", Rouge announced, sitting back as Lara had, wanting to help her new friend any way she could, "we'll see what's up with her and set the record straight; no skin off our collective noses is it?" General assent met that summing up and the ride continued in silence, each Mobian aboard willing the pilot to coax just a little more speed from his vehicle as time ebbed away.

XXX

As one reunion came closer, all seven Mobians on board the Tornado were unaware that another one behind them was actually taking place; the aerial defences of Necronopolis had been triggered automatically by an unauthorised interloper in the airspace they'd been designed to safeguard, but had been manually overridden to stand down. Lord Enerjak himself had personally overridden them when visual confirmation of the intruder became apparent. Together with Kommissar, he was awaiting the arrival of the seemingly battered robot back in Necronopolis, together with the emotion technology it brought with it and his legion would therefore acquire, one way or the other.

"Target two hundred metres away, altitude constant" droned one of the honour guard, blast gun shouldered as he manipulated the viewer screen before them and droned on, "one eighty, one sixty, one forty, twenty, velocity increasing, the target shape is altering…" _So it is_; the lord of the Dark Legion watched in mild interest as the robotic hedgehog suddenly curled up, rotating like a saw blade aimed right for the roof of the building he currently occupied. Rapidly calculating the angle of descent and point of impact, Enerjak voxed,

"Clear the centre of the room"; not really necessary as everyone save one noticeable exception was clustered around the viewer screen, but still they edged away as the viewer operator droned,

"Impact" and there was suddenly a grating, tearing noise that set the teeth of those who listened to it on edge. It swelled, louder and louder until there was a sudden crash; daylight, the glow of a setting sun, filtered in from the roof of the main building as Mecha made his entrance, uncurling to land on his feet and glare at the assembled with his one operational eye.

"We've got doors in the facility you know?" Kommissar spoke scornfully as she looked at the hole the droid had drilled; Metal snarled,

"Well I can't exactly knock can I?" It was only at these words the female echidna looked at the robot proper and gasped; _what the hell could have done that to him?_

Metal was in a mess; the first thing she noticed was that he was perfectly right, there was no way, in his current condition, he could have even lifted a finger. One of his arms had been torn right off, some circuits visible and still occasionally sparking, his self-repair systems still trying ineffectively to seal off and neutralise the awful damage. His other arm was in no better state; even if it was still attached, someone had sheared straight through the vital hydraulics, and pretty much everything else just for good measure, that enabled the robotic limb to function at all; it dangled limp and useless at his side as he noticed her scrutiny, the single functioning LED eye glaring as he saw everyone there absorb his weakness. _Something's gone through that like tin foil_; Lien was incredulous as she saw the damage that had been wreaked on the impact-resistant plate she and her team had developed; _but the pressures, the forces involved…what the hell did he do to get that bloodied up?_

"I am…ready", he couldn't bring himself to admit he needed help and he certainly wasn't willing in this, "to make the trade with the Dark Legion; my emotional software for a total operation refit".

"What did that to you?" Lien couldn't control her mouth this time; she had to know, had to confront the challenge of designing something that could stand up to that, create the next generation of armour plating. Metal growled; _still not in his good books yet_;

"That is not your concern; the trade…"

"Can wait", a second synthesised voice answered, cutting him off as Dimitri finished processing the information his assayers had provided him with, "you have been in combat?"

"I miscalculated something", it was the closest Lien reckoned Mecha was ever going to come to admitting a mistake, "and I require assistance with repairing the consequences".

"Who were you in combat with?" Dimitri pressed, needing answers to allow him to plot the next moves, "for what reason did you fight?"

"That is not your concern", the hedgehog snarled back; even with only one arm and most of his protective systems in ribbons, he was still able to project a palpable field of menace and domination, "I am offering to impart my information in exchange for aid; is that acceptable or must I go elsewhere?"

"It is acceptable", Enerjak nodded slightly; Mecha was alert even now and noticed, even with his single optic circuits, that the cyborg echidna did not aim the gesture at him, but at a point behind him; he span to face this new threat, only to have a fleeting second of registering the increase in charge around his body increase to dangerous, even lethal levels; self-defence programmes automatically kicked in and he was plunged into the darkness once more, going offline once more to preserve his structural integrity.

Lien had shut her eyes as the generator in her twin's claw had discharged the red beam she had programmed it to charge up; the shot had been a one-off, she had been forced to ensure that by her great-grandfather, despite Kragok's assurances that he wouldn't tell if she 'forgot'. _Typical Kragok_; she'd thought at the time; _never happy unless he's got the biggest gun or flashiest death ray_; now as she examined the smoking results of the beam she realised she'd done well to follow her great-grandfather's orders. _That beam wouldn't just kill someone, you'd be lucky to find the ashes_; she gave a low whistle as she met her brother's eyes, organic and mechanical both, and nodded,

"Nice shot".

"Simple", he turned away, flexing his claw as the generator within it cooled down slightly, "he was facing away and unsuspecting, an infant could have made it". Her lip curled,

"Excuse me for making a compliment"; thankfully, she detected the faint whirring behind her of Enerjak's hovering form and both twins cut off their bickering in time to appear regal before the lord of the Dark Legion. Enerjak approached the still form of Metal Sonic and swept his own assayers over it,

"You are certain the emotional programming will be whole Kommissar?"

"Perfectly, I conducted a full examination of his circuitry while I had the chance", she smiled sharkily as the grandmaster beckoned some of his guard to remove the carcass to the research labs, where she'd perform the extraction later, "in the event of a electric current of such magnitude he can't cope with it, he automatically cuts out before his vital software, emotions included, would be affected, therefore preserving himself. I can now get cracking at extracting it the hard way".

"Then do so, and quickly", despite his monotone, she fancied she could almost see the excitement in his tone rising at the thought of possibly solving the greatest technical problem that had even been posed to his Legion, "the fate of millions could rely on your efforts".

"It will be done my lord"; she bowed before departing, not feeling Kragok's eyes on her back as she congratulated herself on earning a little praise from someone who was usually bending over backwards to clear up her catastrophes.

XXX

"Miss Armadillo?" Mighty looked up as the nurse mentioned her name, nodding as she irritably tapped the pot they'd wrapped her arm with again; she had an itch on her elbow and it was driving her up the wall as she couldn't reach it, "you have some visitors".

"Excellent; thanks a lot", she settled down in her covers, still planning how she'd handle this, "please, don't keep them waiting". The young lady nodded and excused herself; there were a few minutes before she felt the relief bubble through her as Shadow preceded all four of the Mobians she'd asked to see into her ward bay. Wynmacher, who she'd only ever met once or twice, grimaced, probably reminded of his own stay in hospital due his sky-ball accident, while Lara was more clinical, looking the armadillo over as though seeing if anything had been done wrong. _Oh yeah_; Mighty remembered after a few seconds; _I forget she's a nurse – she's probably more at home here than anyone else_;

"Mighty", Rouge looked at her face, the smile straining to cover the deep anger and worry the bat must have been feeling, "you're looking better than Sonic was making out".

"Yeah, the stitches go well with the dusky fur; watch, this look'll be all over the catwalk in a few months"; the bat managed to chuckle as Knuckles shook his head, his fists flexing as she imagined he was wishing Mecha was in front of him right now. The guardian looked up just as Mighty began,

"Listen, I want no questions about me, how it happened or anything else like that; that's not why I need you all here"; Wyn had to break in here,

"Well why was it; Sonic said something about a mind…?"

"Yes, and he was right; listen, this is about you four, why I brought you here", she beckoned them all closer, her voice dropping as she said the clinching words, "I've found the artist, he's here as well and he needs to see you all".

XXX

Though not as badly injured as the Mobian he'd come in with, once the doctors had compared notes, they had to admit that the armadillo seemed to be doing better, much better, than the cat. While she had apparently been chatting gamely to visitors the whole time, her partner in wounding had simply sat alone in his room, the only times he spoke were monosyllabic grunts to refuse food and water. Most of the time, he just wanted to be alone and, out of patient respect, the ward staff complied, keeping out the way of the cat as he brooded alone. Therefore, when four Mobians, all of them breathless with excitement and demanding entry, had declared themselves as visitors to the wards' newest patient, the desk nurse was unsurprisingly cautious,

"Well, I have to say he's not really up to seeing anyone; looks a bit down in the mouth if you ask me".

"If this hospital food is anything like we get at home I'm not surprised", the brown, dreadlocked Mobian said, nearly bouncing from some unapparent excitement as one of his partners carried on,

"Listen, we really need to see him; it's a, personal matter; just the room, please?" The nurse paused a fraction before shrugging; _if they can lighten him up, they'll have saved us all a job, even if he goes home in a couple of days_; checking the register, she quickly came to the relevant entry.

XXX

He had spent the time here dwelling on the past; what else was there for him to do? A thousand times Big heard the screams, the chill of fear touching his heart again and again as the sight of a blood-soaked armadillo was seared into his mind forever. _Then it cam_; the cat would shudder at this point, the haze of berserker wrath sweeping into him, only these times, with no danger present, it did not make safe his mind, hiding it within a comforting haze of red numbness, unable to see anything beyond his foe's obliteration. Now, as his flawless memory played again, Big was condemned to see it over and over, the mistakes he'd made, the rash decisions taken in the heat of battle, and, above all else, the unforgivable devolution into a near-mindless killer. Shivers ran through his body and he glanced down to see his hands, his hands stained with blood, new and old alike, glistening redly up at him with crimson malevolence. How many times he sat alone in this room, his body healing even as his mind wandered away, sickened by what it had been forced to do and repeated over and over by the prosecuting memory before the damning judge of his conscience, and ever was the verdict against him. _This is it_; Big flicked a claw out idly, toying with the idea for a split-second before shaking his head, the natural blade retracting as he couldn't contemplate the thought; _no, that's not the way – I know there is, but I can only se the past, I can't look forwards, not now, not just after this._ There was a sudden click that diverted his attention, the handle of his door swinging open, he was about to give his usual answer that he wanted nothing when the words stuck in his throat; for a split-second he regarded the wide, shocked eyes of the bat before, with a cry he couldn't place, between joy and self-recrimination, she threw herself forwards, landing squarely in his arms.

_How the hell could I have been that blind?_; Rouge hugged herself in closer to the one who had safe-guarded the past of her and her husband forever; _how could I have forgotten what he did at Christmas?_ There was a link, tenuous but existing between the picture, the perfect picture of her wedding and the sketch of Team Rose he had blessed Amy and Cream with during the season of goodwill.

"You did it, it was you…"

"Umm", Big wasn't quite sure what to make of this, especially as he seemed to be holding the wife of the Mobian who had just stepped inside and was now looking at him wide-eyed, Lara-Le and Wynmacher just behind him, apparently fighting for a view. In a breathless whisper, Knuckles managed to gasp,

"You, your work", he shut his eyes, a visible tremor running through his body as some great truth, good or ill, shot right through him; Big was beginning to feel nervous at the centre of all this attention before the guardian pointed at him, the mystery made clear, "you painted it".

_So, they know_; the cat couldn't deny it, at the same time he realised where, or more precisely who, they must have heard off. He nodded, dropping his eyes as Rouge was still at his front before,

"Why are you looking down?" His head snapped back up as Wyn exclaimed, Lara next to him pulling the door shut to prevent a scene, "The End of the Hunt, don't you know how, how, phenomenal it is?"

"It", he tried to tried to deflect the praise as always, "it's not really much, I just…"

"No Big", Rouge's voice as muffled, but she looked up, meeting the cat's eyes; he was shocked to see something like wonder verging on fanaticism glowing there, engulfing him brightly, "it's not nothing, it's something, something huge and beautiful", she lowered her head again, beginning to choke as he could see the emotion, something akin to reverence in her voice as she carried on, "how many women can be a bride ever day of their lives; that's what I can be now – one look at that picture, it all comes back, the whole day, everything about it. Do you know what some people would give for that, to remember the day they were wed so perfectly?"

"Err…" Knuckles stepped forwards, placing his hand on the cat's muscled shoulder and squeezing softly, his voice the same reverential tone as his wife's,

"Even when I'm as old as my grandfathers, I'll still be able to see The End of the Hunt", his eyes misted up, the grip tightening though Big couldn't feel any pain; he was too lost in this new whirlwind of emotions, "it's all there now; everything that led up to that day – I can't believe I'd forgotten so much. You brought it all back, for both of us; the first night after we hung it on our wall, we spent half the night talking about it, what it meant and everything we felt on that day", he chuckled, no malice behind it as he finished, "the nerves, the hope, the relief, everything. And we owe it all to you, something we can never pay".

"But…"; his tongue failed him; the cat able to do no more than take in the scene; the two guardians were thanking him, outright thanking him, for doing something that had been all he could give them for a wedding present, while the two echidnas behind them were thanking him just as hard with their eyes; Wyn was gazing with outright awe in his manner, while Lara's look suddenly brought a pang of regret to his heart; it was the same look he could remember his mother giving him when he'd done something right. _Mum_; for the first time in a long time, Big recalled his family and how long it had been since he saw them last. The scene could have lasted minutes or years, but eventually the door was opened once more, the doctor who did so holding a whispered conversation with Lara-Le before departing quietly. After a second, the female echidna stood tall to address them,

"Okay everyone, visiting time's over; we can't stay here but they think, if the last batch of tests go okay, Mighty should be out by ten. From there we can all get home; Tails probably wouldn't mind doing a midnight run".

"Even if he did, I'm sure you could persuade him"; Knuckles received a clip around the ears as Wyn tried to hastily disguise his sniggers, Lara waving a warning finger at her son,

"That's enough of that my lad; we should be grateful he got us all here so fast; him getting us home is just the icing on the cake. Well", she turned to look at the cat sitting before her and gently embraced him, not caring, just as Rouge hadn't, that his fur was still speckled with blood and a few tiny streaks of silvery metal, "thank you for everything Big; your work will become a guardian heirloom, everyone who's seen it agrees. We have to go now, but remember you're always welcome on Angel Island anytime".

"Thank you"; the only words he could come up with in the face of such unexpected shock; he watched on in a kind of comfortable shock as, with a final whisper of goodbyes and further thanks, each of the Mobians who had come to visit him departed, awe still suffusing them and, as the door slid shut, Big as well.

XXX

_That's unusual_; as was his custom, the cat tried to explain what had just happened with his perfect hindsight, but this time it really wouldn't happen – it just wasn't the same second, third and fourth time around. He could see everyone move and hear every word they spoke, but somehow his memory wouldn't, or couldn't, convey the emotions in the same manner; it couldn't quite replicate the quiet clarity and promise in Knuckles voice, the matriarchal look of pride Lara had delivered didn't hit with quite the same force; it was all muted, hidden as though he were behind a veil, thin and transparent true, but a veil nonetheless, hiding all but, thankfully, his own reactions to the sudden, unforeseen praise. That warm glow suffused him again and again, and it felt glorious, something to usurp the dire, dreaded guilt and, more importantly, strangely addictive; somehow, Big wanted to feel that sense of satisfaction, that was probably the closest word he could find to match his sensations, over again, see their faces for the first time again. _This is something I can aim at_; with a sudden rush of energy, the cat stood and, taking the pen from the pot on the back of the room door and pulled a paper towel from the dispenser above the sink, smiling widely as he realised that, for the first time in too long, he had something worthwhile to go for; _I want more of that, I want to see more people look like that, because I made them happy_. With a burst of creativity, Big set his mind to work, quickly writing out a list of what he could possibly do to bring that feeling back.

He was just putting the finishing touches to his first plan when, with a rush, his door was opened again; glancing up, he snorted and put his pen down, matching the smile of his guest as he drawled,

"I've no doubt you were to blame for that".

XXX

"Guilty as charged"; as though she owned the place, Mighty stepped in, the door swinging shut behind her as she casually hopped onto the end of the bed, regarding the cat with hope fresh in her mind; it looked like her gamble had paid off. Big certainly looked happier, though his face fell a little as she saw his eyes flick to her cast; she sighed and tapped it again,

"Poxy thing; my forearm's driving me nuts; think I've got a crumb down there or something".

"itches huh?"

"Don't", even thinking about it made the discomfort a thousand times worse;' she changed to tack to assuage her suspicions at the same time as ease her mind from other matters, "so, you finally saw it?"

"I think so"; he was smart enough to guess what she was driving at and, despite the sneaky way she'd done it, he couldn't deny it had been effective, "how did you…?"

"You said it", the armadillo kicked her heels idly as she explained, "the first time you showed your art, something bad happened and, because you couldn't forget about it, you automatically thought that'd be what would happen every time. That's why you sent The End of the Hunt in secret; you didn't want to be there in case the deal went sour. But because oft hat, you missed…" she pointed at the door, indicating where the two guardians had departed before finishing, "…you just needed to see that not everyone's a raging moron".

"Thanks"; _that's better, he looks a lot better when he's smiling_; Mighty felt her conscience ease as she realised once and for all Big was sorted out, at least in this instance, "I never thought of that; just wanted to give them a wedding present and painting's one of the only things I'm good at; fish doesn't keep well when it's flying".

"I bet; Tails wouldn't be happy if the Tornado ended up stinking like the bottom of a lake", the armadillo grinned back before craning her head and trying to read upside down, "what you up to now?"

"Just some things I've got to do", Big sat back, thinking about the list he'd written and what order to do it in first, "I want to go and see everyone again; my sisters'll be turning sixteen come the start of October, so I think that'll be the best time to try and make up with my family".

"They'll understand Big", Mighty reached over and patted his paw with her good hand, screwing up her courage as she made to choke down her individualistic streak, "listen, I'm going in a minute".

"Leaving so soon?"

"You bet, the food's appalling", she joked before shaking her head, "nah, I'm being discharged; my arm should be fine, just nothing strenuous for a few days, let it start to heal up; should be off in a couple of weeks. But anyway, forget that", she slid to the floor, facing the cat squarely, "I came here 'cause there's something I have to say".

"Save it"; Big raised a hand, second-guessing her intention and not needed to hear any of it; this time though, he hadn't quite got it right and anyway, Mighty was not to be dissuaded, stubbornly not giving in,

"Not this time; this has to be said; Big, out there you put your life on the line for me, and you knew even if you one, you'd suffer just for doing it", she was creeping closer, the gap between them closing as she finished, "I have no idea how hard that must have been".

"You needed help; I was the only one there who could give it", the cat stated, not arguing, merely stating a fact, "I defy anyone just to sit there if they know someone they like's in trouble and there's something they can do about it".

"Be that as it may", she was close now, close enough for her breath to ruffle the hairs on his face, "I still need to say it; Big, thank you for saving my life".

With that, seeing his eyes widen, the armadillo felt something seize her and she didn't try to resist it; Mighty's normal way of greeting or bidding farewell to someone involved a kiss, but this was different – she pressed her lips against his. Hard, and then harder still as she felt, of their own volition, her arms wrap around him, pulling herself in closer as the kiss deepened. He reciprocated, more slowly, but still he did so, shyly and unsure as the embrace lasted. In the end, need of oxygen broke them apart; Mighty hugged herself into her cat's shoulder, gently stroking the fur there as she whispered,

"Don't be a stranger Big", her voice cut off as she felt his hands reach her shoulders, overlapping the nerveless expanse of her shell due to their length alone and firmly holding them as she finished, "there are people out there who'll love you if you let them; God knows I'm one of them". _Ah, didn't quite mean to… - oh forget it, well I know you won't but, ah, you know what I meant_; from the sudden tightening of his grip, she guessed with a stab of happiness he must have.

XXX

Far away from this joyous reunion, a door slid open, framing within it a female echidna with metallic spines covering part of her face and, to the two facing her's consternation, a troubled expression,

"What Lien?" Dimitri was immediately alert, the possibility that the software they needed had been damaged was high on his predictions and at the same time almost unendurable, "the emotions, they are…?"

"Here"; she held out a data chip, offering it to her great grandfather and her twin, though she had to add, "but it's not quite what we wanted; I broke them down, and he wasn't lying earlier".

"Explain"; a soldier to the core, Kragok didn't want to spend time bandying words.

"They are all strong emotions, but each of them is negative; fear, hatred, anger, rage, all of them powerfully destructive", she shook her head, regarding the lord of the Legion with a troubled glance, "we've only got half the picture here; I think with a bit of tinkering I can try to replicate the deleted technology but it'll take time, a lot of time".

"We have it"; _so the day is set back, but it is still on the cards…what now_?; seeing she still had more to say, the cyborg gestured for her to speak only she didn't, merely offering a second chip, her unsaid posture demanding him to read it. Inserting his wires, Dimitri did so; what he saw there made what little remained of his blood boil; seeing his anger, Lien headed it off,

"It's his most recent data; he tried to work around his restraints; you hear him. 'You don't have to kill someone to remove them as a threat'; that's thinking on the very highest level, but it's all negative from him. Everything he does is geared for destruction".

"Lien", finishing his reading, Enerjak growled, his eyes flashing redly, "install the NAP".

"Forgive me, but it's already done; he just needs some structural repair and then we can put him on ice".

"No"; the refusal shocked her and she looked at him beseechingly; for his part, the ghost of a voice spoke a lesson into him again, "no-one deserved imprisonment as he did; with the Non-Aggression Programme running, he can do no harm".

"No lord, he cannot", she saw something out the corner of her eye and, perturbed by her brother's dreamy smile, turned to him, "something wrong Kragok?"

"Huh?" Seeing eyes on him, the joint second-in-command of the legion dropped his thought, swallowing his mistake with practised ease, "I was merely thinking that we were wrong to believe this robot could ever be anything but a weapon; he was designed to kill, programmed to kill and ordered to kill; could he ever do anything else?"

"I don't know", Lien had to be truthful even as her next statement was laden with promise, "but I've made sure whatever happens, he'll never kill again".

XXX

Almost a week to the day after Big was allowed home, the wounds he'd suffered deemed watertight by the doctors, he received a package from Tails, the kit helping him carve his new fishing rod for a few minutes before being forced to head off; as he'd said, he was a busy man now. Having bid the fox farewell, Big slit the top of the envelope open and, after looking at it for a few minutes, slipped it back inside, smile widening as he realised he'd been putting off a trip into town for a while now.

That night, with Froggy sleeping happily in the fur of his chest, Big rested, content under the newest decoration to his home. Above where he made his bed, the small framed picture hung well; it wasn't one of his, there was no comparison that could be made between this and even the least of his sketches in his book, but then again to compare was to miss the point.

The sketch showed something resembling a larger than average cat, walking slowly, someone smaller held in their arms; the trudging stride he must have affected was probably due to injury, but there was determination, steel in both the characters as they carried on, not resting despite the exhaustion that seemed to steam up from both of them. The whole idea of toiling on, of one helping the other was encapsulated perfectly in the title of this work of art:

_A Good Samaritan; A Perfect Friend._

That night the process truly began as, through her words, her actions and certainly her affections as well, Mighty's iron shell began to steal over Big's easily broken, but golden heart, helping to shield it, heal its bruises even as it began to beat within, softening her sharpened edges. In the future, it might have been possible for the fire of love to rise again; in which case iron and gold would melt together, tempered by the flames they each bore, entwining and becoming something else; a metal stronger than either component could possibly be alone.

A/N: I always liked these two characters, but they were never really dealt justice in either the games or the comics; Big was, as RGN rightly pointed out, scorned as an idiot while Mighty was muscle and nothing else really. This is just to balance the books; but, hang on; what's the deal with the Legion now? Are they all peaceful, all just wanting to go their own way, or is there still some remnants of fire within them, and if so, what will it consume to sate its appatite. Next fic will begin soon; Lose Your Illusions.


End file.
